Hence, from the evergreen momo-chowmein combo, we have slowly graduated to Korean, Japanese, Thai and many more other cuisines.[break]
Yet there are some of us who come back home and rifle through the contents of our refrigerator looking for our share of dal-bhat-tarkari-achar. We just don’t seem to get enough of our staple diet.
But with such a variety of new dishes to tickle our taste buds, we surely have a favorite, apart from our own Nepali cuisine.
Chinese has been our go-to cuisine for many years. A familiar scenario every time we sit down to order would go like this: we look at the menu, sometimes scrutinize it for more than 10 minutes, and then say, “I’ll have momos.” Are you sure this hasn’t happened to you?
Though most Nepalis think they have a birth right over the meat covered with flour covered dish, its been hugely influenced by our neighbors in the north. So it comes as no surprise when Ayush Dhungel says, “For me, it has to be Chinese cuisine because of its aromatic flavors and excellent tastes. I think Chinese dishes always pay special attention to its appearance. Thus, the aromas of Chinese foods always whet my appetite.”
For every experimental foodie, the many new and exotic dishes will be heavenly. We can choose from Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, and even Italian.
Journalist Evelyn Moktan, 27, says, “My favorite cuisine is Italian. I love the rich food. I find it yummy and it’s a delight to savor anything Italian.” Heavy on cheese, tomato and oregano pizzas and spaghettis are our next go to comfort food after the regular momo-chowmien combo.
Moin Uddin, 22, studying Bachelor’s in Business Studies at Nepal Commerce Campus, says, “I love Indian food the most. Though there are many dishes I like, I especially love aalooka parantha, samosa, bhel puri and chaat. However, biryani is my favorite dish because it has a variety of spices and it tastes absolutely delicious. Eating all these dishes gives me pleasure and pampers my taste buds at the same time.”
The cultural similarities seem to have found its way into the cuisines as well as Indian food is the closest one can get to the Nepali taste. The spices and style of cooking makes Indian food one of the most sort after food after dal-bhat-tarkari in Nepal.
Let’s enjoy all that this world has to offer us. After all, our dal-bhat-tarkari-achar will always be waiting for us.
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