|
|
Man (or woman!) cannot live by food alone but he (or she!) cannot live without it, either and it’s always good to know what sort of cuisine one can expect before going to a place one doesn’t know. Leh is capital of northern India’s ‘Little Tibet’, as Ladakh, is known, and offers a range of cuisine that is varied and interesting. Leh cuisine is poular.
Leh cuisine is typical and the best dishes from the Leh cuisine are loved by people. Leh cuisine is poular. The visitors of Leh enjoy Leh cuisine. The cuisine of Leh is rich and tasty.
Kashmiri cuisine is abundantly available in Leh and is absolutely delicious as well as being inexpensive. You may like to try ‘Roghan Josh’, a juicy curried mutton concoction with Yoghurt and spices or ‘Gushtaba’, which are spicy meatballs in a sauce made of yoghurt, to name but a couple of wonderful possibilities. |
Although Kashmiri cuisine is not known for sweetness, an exception is the Nan bread, with sultanas and nuts baked into it. A ‘Reshmi’ kebab is also mouth-watering but the pinnacle of Kashmiri cuisine is, of course, ‘Wazwan’, a thirty-six course banquet for four people sharing a single plate... after which any ensuing stomach upset can be helped by a soothing Kashmiri tea made from Chamomile and Cardamom.
Beer is not commonly available with food in local restaurants but you can hunt out one particular establishment on the road to the fort - you'll probably notice it because it is where locals go to get rowdy, or at least as rowdy as they are ever going to, and you can try the ‘Seekh’ kebabs with ‘Pudina’ chutney or a piping hot chicken curry with ‘Naan’ bread for very little money. This is the kind of eatery where northern India’s cuisine and that of Leh, in particular is at its most typical
The local Stagbuckthorn juice drink and jam made from the berries of this extraordinary plant is something not to be missed. Apart from being one of the few local products that enjoys an export market, it is also said to be remarkably good for one. The local apricots and apples are also legendarily good and tourists can be seen munching their way through bagfuls of apricots as they wander around, marveling at the sights. When yak cheese is available, try some on freshly baked bread – it’s delicious! A visit to the place that locals call the ‘Land of the High Passes’, or Leh to you and me, lets you sample the cuisine of India and that of Tibet as well.
Tibetan bread is mainly flat and Leh’s version of Po Cha, the Tibetan Yak butter tea may be made with ordinary butter these days. ‘Momos’ are Tibetan dumplings are made with either vegetables or meat and served hot with soy or hot sauce to dip them in and Leh’s delightful Tibetan cuisine includes ‘Thantuk’ (the equivalent of Tibet’s ‘Thenthuk’ from ‘Then’, meaning ‘pull’ and ‘Thuk’ meaning ‘noodle’), for example, is one very popular kind of local soup, made with coriander, spinach and onions. ‘Thukpa’ is another kind of noodle soup that is thick and rich.
If you really must, you can eat Western food, both European and American in many of the hotels, and will be offered pizza, burgers although it seems a shame to eat those when there is so much else to try... However, filter coffee and croissants are available at several German bakeries around town and a fabulous apricot pie is a local specialty too. Leh is famous for special sweetmeats such as ‘Mok-Moks’, so be sure to try some while you are there if you have a sweet tooth. Leh cuisine is enjoyable. |
