Some Traditional Foods of Nepal -Brief Introduction
Compiled by- Dambar B. Khadka
A. Cereal based Traditional Food of Nepal
Jandh
It is the traditional alcoholic beverage of Nepal. Jandh is a fermentation product of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) locally known as Kodo or Marua. The finger millet seeds are sometimes mixed with a small amount of wheat or corn grains.
Kinema
Kinema is a nonsalted and solid-state fermented soybean food of the eastern hills of Nepal. It is consumed in Darjeeling and Sikkim of India and in some parts of Bhutan. It has a pungent smell of ammonia, slimy texture, and short shelf-life.
Chiura
A popular traditional food of Nepal made from paddy. It’s made by soaking, draining, roasting, flaking the paddy followed by removing of the husk. It is one of the item mainly consume in special occasion typically in ASAR-15 with Dahi ( fermented milk product).
Syabaji
Syabaji is also the traditional products made from paddy in Nepal. The word syabaji is come from newari( a ethenic group of Nepal) word shiyagu( roasted). It is made by roasting the Chiura in sand and is lighter than chiura.
Golfuki,
Is the food products maily consumed as breakfast in terai community in Nepal. Golfuki preparation includes soaking of paddy (2–3 days), draining the water,and lightly roasting in Handi . its also famous as other name “”muri”” or “”bhuja”’.
Lawa,
It is the direct roasted product of paddy.
Khatte
It is the popular break fast in hilly areas of Nepal, It is made from rice mainly from brown rice obtained from dhiki ( a special Nepalese manual flaking instrument) but white or polished rice can also be used.it is prepared from rice by soaking over night, draining and roasting.
Poko
It is rice based solid fermented food product characterized by creamy color, soft, and juicy sweet and sour taste with slightly alcoholic and aromatic flavor. Consumption of these products is deeply rooted in the culture and has several symbolic significance. During the preparation of Jandh and Raksi, this is base product. There is traditional belief that Poko promotes good health, nourishes the body giving good vigor and stamina (Gajurel and Baidya 1979, c). Their production is confined to home scale only.
Satoo
Satoo is a traditional food product made from maize, soybean and sometime added gram. It is nutritionally considered as balanced food. Roasted maize (Makai) and soybean (Bhatmas) were mixed and powdered is called Satoo, which is generally consumed with Mahi and salt.
Khir and Dhakane( milk pudding)
Khir (milk pudding) and Dhakane are the sweet breakfast and snack items prepared from rice and milk. Shrawan 15 (August 1) is a culturally special occasion for Consuming Khir. Khir preparation involves boiling the milk with a small amount of Rice for about 1 hr.
Kasar
Kasar is a special traditional sweet of Nepal made from rice flour and chaku (concentration form of sugarcane juice) with ball shape of radius 4-6 cm.Basically it is served in wedding ceremony, Bratabandha and other cultural and activities.
Puwa
Puwa is the traditional sweet in slightly big granular shape made from Rice (khatte) .Puwa preparation involves the roasting of rice flour in Ghiu( ghee) until it becomes brown red. A little water is added, and it is boiled until cooked. A small amount of sugar and spices are added.it has also same importance as kasar.
Raksi
Raksi is major traditional alcoholic beverage of Nepalese community. Raksi is an unaged co generic spirit obtained by pot distillation of the slurry of Jand. The product resembles with whisky has highly varying alcohol contents.
Chiuri-Ghiu
Chiuri-Ghiu is a kind of vegetable ghee traditionally obtained from the fruit kernel of the Chiuri plant (botanical name Bassia butyracea) available in the mid hilly region of the kingdom and also known as butter-tree. The plant is generally available in the mountain region of the country at 1000 to 5000 ft altitude.
Yomari
Yomari is prepared by kneading rice flour using hot water, make fig shaped, make hole and put solidified Chaku mixed with powder of fried black sesame, close the hole making flower like shape and steamed until cooked. It should serve while hot. Beside Chaku, people use meat keema, black gram paste or Khoa. This is unique bread prepared by Newari people only, on Yomari punhi, day
Chatamari
This is a rice flour pancake very much raised by Newars. Once in a year, in the month of April/ May, Dewali or Degudeopuja is celebrated. They prepare thin but round pancake of rice flour, Chatamari as they are called offered to the Devta named Degudeo or Kuldevta (fitular god) and distributed as Prasad (offering). During guthi (Religious trusties) feasts also chatamari are prepared as important item for ritualistic worshipping (Majpuria).
Gundruk:
Gundruk is the lactic acid fermented product of green Leafy vegetables. The vegetable Leaf generally used includes rayo(Brassica compestris L var. cumifolia Roxb), Mustard leaf( Brassica nigra), Radish leaf(Raphanus sativusL) and cauliflower leaf(Brassica oleracea L var. botrytis). The predominated lactic acid bacteria that are important to acid development and contribution of flavour were suggested as Pediococus pentsaceous, Lactobacillus cellulobiose and L. plantarum. The acid content in the final product was generally ranges from 0.8% to 1% depending upon raw material used. It can be preserved for long time after sun drying and simple packaging under polyethylene bag or pouchs.it is popular among all the ethnic group of Nepal. it is also popular in some part of India ( Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland) having high dense Nepalese community.
Sinki
Sinki is also the lactic acid fermented products of root parts of carrot. It has also sour test and can be preserved by sun drying and simple packaging like gundruk for long time.
TAMA ( MESU):
Tama (Mesu) is the salted lactic acid fermented bamboo shoot product consumed in bamboo growing region of Nepal. It is also consumed in the Nepalese originated people of Darjeeling and Sikkim part of India. The young shoot of bamboo is used in the preparation of Mesu. The commonly used bamboo are CHOYA BANS(Dendroclamus hamiltonii),KARATI BANS(Bambus tulda Roxb),BHALU BANS(Dendrucalamus Sikkimenens),DHUNGRE BANS(Dendroclamus Gigantea)and MAL BANS(Bambusa nutans)It is coomonly consumed as a Curry or making pickes (ACHAR).Th microflora found in the TAMa are Pediococus pentaceus( initiation) and dominated by , lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum. The curry Called AALU-TAMA-BODI( made by potato, MESU and white beans) is one of the popular item in NEWARI communityof Nepal.The final acidity in TAMA ranges from 0.o4 to 0.95% as lactic acid.
Khalpi
Khalpi is one of the famous traditional fermented pickle of Nepal made from KAKRO( Cucumber).The mature KAKRO is washed , cutting into strips 2-3 inch length, sun drying, mixing with salt and spices and methi( fenugreek) fried oil, packed tightly into glass container , lidding and fermented naturally for 4-5 days. Some diiference in preparation is commonly found depending on region. It is also consumed as ACHAR.
Masyoura
MASYOURA is a typical Nepalese food made from the Black lentil and Small shreds of different vegetables. It is believed that Masyoura contains good combination of the carbohydrate and protein. The masyoura preparation includes cleaning of lentils and soaking to remove the husk, grinding to powder , addition of other vegetables shreds and pidalus( neglected tuber vegetable of Araceae family commonly found in Nepalese forest)., shaping into ball and dried on the sunlight to reduce moisture content and improve the shelf life.
Chook-Amilo
Chook-Amilo is the concentrated form of sour citrus juice. It is generally prepared in hilly regions due to the availability of citrus fruits known as Jyamir, Kagati, or Nibuwa (lemon and lime varieties). Ripe sour citrus fruits are collected and juice is extracted with the help of a Kol, ( a pressing device traditionally used in rural areas to extract fruit juice, sugarcane juice, mustard oil, and Chiuri-Ghiu), boiled with occasional stirring until the color of the juice changes from white to grey and then black. The concentrated juice is stored in a mud container with tight lid. The Chook-Amilo can be stored and used for 1 to 2 years.
Mahuwa Raksi:
It is the distilled alcoholic fermented liquor of juice from a flower called Mahuwa ( maduca indica).The alcohol production is carried out by adding Khameer (yeast)or by means of natural yeast presence in the flower and distillation is carried out by traditional pot to concentrate the alcohol volume.
Toddy:
Toddy (Taddy) is the naturally fermented alcoholic product of sap from a palm treese.Sap from different palm varieties can be use in making toddy but in Nepal especially wild date (phoenix syslvestris) and Palmyra (Borassus flabelliefert) and dwarf date palm (phoenix humilis) are used.The collected sap generally contains 10-15% sugar and is converted to alcohol by means of yeast present in pot( mud pot/HADI/ GHAILA)as a culture from former Toddy. It contains mainly Saccharomyces as well as some other species of yeast like kloecdes, Pichia, Candida, and endomycopsis.
Aamchoor (dry mango flesh)
It is the dried product made from preripened mango flesh.Its production in Nepal is only limited to house hold level. It’s made from the preripening stage of mango and contained high organic acid. Mangoes are destining and longitudinally cut into small piece, mixed with salt and turmeric powder and dried in sun.. It can be stored in more than one year in tight glass container. Its mainly consumed as Achar ( pickle) with general dish of Nepalese( Dal, Bhat and Tarkari).It helps on digestion process of elderly people whose rate of decreasing PH in stomach is very slow during meal.
Source:
Shrestha H 2007 ; Traditional Food and Beverages of Newari Community – A Brief Review JFSTN vol -3,2007, ISSN 1816-0727pp1-10
Dahal et al., 2005: Traditional Foods and Beverages of Nepal—A Review Food Reviews International, 21: 1–25, 2005 Taylor & Francis Inc. ISSN: 8755-9129 (Print); 1525-6103 (Online) DOI: 10.1081/FRI-200040579
DFTQC 2006 ; Annama adharit paramparagat khadh pravidhi in Nepali.
DFTQC 2006 ; Falful Tatha Tarkarima adharit paramparagat khadh pravidhi( Traditional food technology based on fruits and Vegetable) in Nepali., Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC),Nepal
