10 Sherpa Foods to Try During The Everest Base Camp Trek

Food is a vital part not just for energy but proper health and fitness during those extreme conditions of high altitude treks. Without proper food, your trekking experience will be affected largely.

 

In those cold Himalayan regions, you will get to taste authentic Nepali to continental cuisines. But have you ever wondered what the locals of those regions eat in day-to-day life?

 

The Sherpas have their own delicacies that stand out from everything you have ever tried before. When these indigenous mountain people migrated from Eastern Tibet to settle in Solukhumbu, they also brought Tibetan cuisines with them.

 

Sherpa cuisine is mostly simple like their nature and made by using locally grown crops and yak or sheep milk and meat. You will get to taste the unique Sherpa delicacies during your Everest Base Camp Trek.

So here is the list of the top 10 Sherpa foods we recommend you try during the Everest Base Camp Trek.

 

1. Tsampa

2. Shyakpa (Sherpa Stew)

3. Thukpa

4. Tingmo

5. Rildok

6. Sherpa Mo: Mo

7. Riki Kur (Potato Pancake)

8. Kur

9. Shyaphale

10. Su-Chya(Butter Tea)

 

1. Tsampa

Tsampa is a staple dish of Sherpas made from roasted barley flour. It is a wholesome food that is packed with nutrition and perfect for the chilly climate of the Himalayan regions.

Tsampa can be prepared easily and you can have this dish in various ways. You can have the dry powdered Tsampa as it is. 

Else you can form a dough by mixing it with butter tea and yak cheese or make porridge by adding butter, salt, and tea/milk/hot water to it.

 

You can find Tsampa on the menus of most lodges in the Everest Base Camp Region.

 

2. Shyakpa (Sherpa Stew)

Sherpa stew, known as Shyakpa, is a traditional dish of the Sherpas. This is a soupy noodle dish that is perfect for fighting against the cold climate and is popular among the people of the Himalayas.

Shyakpa is entirely homemade food. While people have their versions of the stew, it mainly consists of noodles (cut into flat squares or can be thick and round), meat, and locally grown vegetables such as potato, onion, carrots, radish, spinach, etc. 

 

Additionally, people add salt and spices of their choice to bring authentic flavor to the Shyakpa.

 

Shyakpa can be found on the menu of almost every hotel, teahouse, or eatery on the way to Everest Base Camp. It is a must-try dish if you are there as it keeps your body warm in the chilly climate of the Himalayan region.

 

3. Thukpa

Similar to Shyakpa, Thukpa is another soupy noodle dish of the people of the Himalayas. The difference lies in the noodles as the noodles in Thukpa are long and thin while Shyakpa has hand-pulled thick and flat noodles. Thukpa is also comparatively spicier than Shyakpa.

Thukpa is prepared by boiling the noodles in water with meat, vegetables, and spices and served hot. This makes it a great meal during the cold winters of the Himalayas.

You can find Thukpa in almost every eatery, lodge, and restaurant during the EBC trek.

 

4. Tingmo

The fluffy steamed bread known as Tingmo is prepared from wheat flour and has no filling unlike Mo:Mo. Tingmo has a bland taste so it is often served with curry, dipping sauce, or hot beverages.

 

 

Tingmo is eaten in the Sherpa community. You may get to try Tingmo in small eateries on your way to Everest Base Camp as not every teahouse around the region offer Tingmo.

 

5. Rildok

Rildok is another traditional Sherpa stew with chunks of mashed potatoes. While some may find this dish as a lumpy potato soup, others find it delicious depending upon their preference.

 

 

Rildok is made by mashing boiled potatoes and mixed with some salt and butter. Then the mashed potatoes are formed into small balls and cooked in boiling soup. 

 

This hot potato stew is a perfect dish to warm you in cold weather of high altitudes. Don’t forget to try this unique dish on the lower Solukhumbu region on your way to the Everest Base Camp!

 

6. Sherpa Mo: Mo

Who doesn’t love Mo: Mo, right? Mo: Mo is one of the most loved delicacies of Nepal. These bite-sized steamed Mo:Mo with a mixture of minced meat, veggies, and spices as fillings are just perfect to satisfy your taste buds while you are on the trek to Everest Base Camp.

 

Steaming hot Sherpa Mo:Mo served with some tomato chutney and soup is just the right way to fill your tummies and your soul after a long trek.

 

 

Traditionally, only meat and some veggies were found to be used as fillings in Mo: Mo but as the love for Mo: Mo grew, the varieties of it increased as well. 

 

Now you can find Mo: Mo of different types. Some of which includes chicken Mo:Mo, Buff Mo:Mo, Veg Mo:Mo, Paneer Mo:Mo, etc.

You’ll find these varieties of Mo: Mo in every restaurant, eatery, and lodge along the trail.

 

7. Riki kur (Potato Pancake)

Riki means potato, and kur means pancake, thus Riki kur translates to a potato pancake. This is a popular dish among the Sherpa community where Roti (pancake) is made using potatoes.

 

The pancake is made forming a batter whose main ingredients include flour and grated potatoes. Riki kur isn’t sweet like the usual pancakes and is usually served with butter, yak cheese, and some pickle.

 

You can find Riki kur in the hotels of the lower regions of the trail but if you want the authentic traditional taste, find this cuisine in the Sherpa village.

 

8. Kur

Tibetan bread, known as Kur, is a staple meal of the Sherpa community. It is primarily made of flour dough and baking powder in a frying pan and has a flat round shape.

 

Kur is typically eaten as breakfast or snack and is served with jam, butter, dipping sauce, or curry. This dish is relatively cheaper but also filling.

 

You can find Kur on the menus of almost all the lodges, teahouses, restaurants, and eateries while you are in the Everest region.

 

9. Shyaphale

Shyaphale is one of the delicious Tibetan dishes widely popular among the Sherpas. It is semi-circular in shape consisting of minced meat inside.

 

Shyaphale is initially prepared similarly to Mo:Mo by wrapping a mixture of minced meat, cabbage, and spices into a dough and giving a semi-circular shape. Then it is deep fried and served hot with some spicy tomato chutney/sauce.

Most local eateries in Namche Bazar and Lukla serve Shyaphale. It got so popular that you can find this dish in many restaurants in different parts of Nepal.

 

10. Su-Chya (Butter Tea)

Butter Tea, commonly known as Su-Chya, is a popular beverage among the Sherpas. You must have had varieties of tea before but Su-Chya is something very unique and is a must-try if you don’t want to miss the authentic taste of Himalayan tea.

 

Su-Chya is usually prepared by boiling tea leaves with some butter and salt according to taste. In the cold Himalayan regions where energy is frequently used to provide heat to the body, this caloric beverage plays an important role and is a regular part of the Sherpa lifestyle.

 

Su-Chya is served in almost every hotel run by the Sherpas along the EBC trails. To experience the local taste, it’s best if you try this salty butter tea in the small local eateries during the Everest Base Camp Trek.