Can someone tell me about Nepalese food?!
Answers:
Nepalese cuisine refers to the cuisines of Nepal. The cultural and geographic diversity of Nepal provide ample space for a variety of cuisines based on ethnicity, soil and climate. Nevertheless dal-bhat-tarkari is eaten throughout the country. Dal is a spicy/non-spicy soup made of lentils. It is served over boiled grain, bhat -- usually rice but sometimes another grain -- with vegetable curry, tarkari. Typical condiments are a small amount of extremely spicy chutney or Achaar made from fresh ingredients) or fermented pickle achaar, sliced lemon(nibua) or lime (kagati) and fresh chili peppers, khursani. The variety of achars is staggering, said to number in the thousands.
TYPES
Newari cuisine - Newars are an ethnic group originally living in the Kathmandu Valley. Water buffalo meat is eaten by Newars but avoided by most observant Hindus. Newari cuisine has many fermented preparations. Cheap rice can be trucked in and local market farmers find produce more profitable than grain. Typical Newari cuisine is complete with baji, 'chhoila' and other items
Khas or Pahari cuisine conforms to dietary restrictions of upper-caste Hindus in the Middle Hills. Dal-bhat-tarkari is the standard meal eaten twice daily. Hill Bahun Chettri have traditionally eaten goat meat and fish. However with land suitable for irrigated rice paddies in short supply, other grains supplement or even dominate. Wheat becomes unleavened flat wheat bread. Maize, buckwheat, barley or millet become porridge-like (dhiro or ato). Tarkari can be spinach or greens (sag), fermented and dried greens (gundruk), daikon radish, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, etc. Fruit grown include mandarin orange, kaffir lime, lemon , asian pear, and bayberry. Yogurt and curried meat or fish are served as side dishes when available. Chicken, and fish are usually acceptable to all but the highest Brahmin caste. Bahuns, Hill Brahmins, however eat goat meat. Observant Hindus never eat beef , except untouchables (dalit) possibly eating animals that have died of natural causes. In Pahari communities, pork was traditionally only eaten by Magars,Kirats and Dalits. However wild boar is traditionally hunted and eaten by Chhetris. Lately,Pork( Bangur ko maasu) is becoming popular across the ethnicities and castes in Nepal except Castes in Terai.
Ethnic variations in the Middle Hills - buffalo) meat and/or pork are eaten by many janajati -- indigenous nationalities with customs departing from Hindu norms to varying degrees. In the course of the Nepalese Civil War, Magars (and perhaps other ethnicities in areas under rebel control) began eating beef to flaunt longstanding Hindu domination. More traditionally, Magars ate pork but not water buffalo while the superficially similar Gurung did the opposite. Further east, Tamang, Rai and Limbu have unique ethnic foods including fermented soybeans, yangben -- a particular type of moss, preparations of bamboo shoots, bread made from millet or buckwheat, and traditional Limbu drink tongba (millet beer).
Terai cuisine - Food in Outer Terai south of Sivalik Hills grades into cuisines of adjacent parts of India such as Maithili cuisine in the east, Bihari and Bhojpuri cuisine in the center and near west. Further west there is Uttar Pradeshi and even Mughlai-influenced Awadhi cuisine -- particularly eaten by the substantial Muslim population around Nepalganj and beyond. Terai diets can be more varied than in the Middle Hills because of greater variety of crops grown locally plus cash crops imported from cooler microclimates in nearby hill regions as well as from different parts of India. Fruit commonly grown in the Terai include mango, papaya, banana and jackfruit.
Himalayan cuisine - Eaten by culturally Tibetan and closely related ethnic groups in the Himalaya and Trans-himalaya. Buckwheat, barley and millet are important cold-tolerant grains often processed into noodles or tsampa (toasted flour), or made into alcoholic beverages. Potatoes are another important staple crop and food. Subtantial amounts of rice are imported from the lowlands. The meat of yak and possibly yak-cow hybrids may be used, as well as their milk. Meat is often prepared as momo (potstickers).
Beverages - tea (chiya) usually taken with milk and sugar, juice of sugarcane (sarbat) and buttermilk (mahi). Alcoholic beverages include raksi -- spirits made in rustic distilleries -- and jard, -- homemade beer made from rice. At higher elevations there is millet beer (tongba or chyang).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalese_cu…
