In the high valleys of the Khumbu, where little grows above the potato fields, Sherpa cooking makes the most of potatoes, barley, dairy and whatever can be carried up.
Quick answer: Try shyakpa (Sherpa stew, a thick soup with hand-made noodle pieces, potatoes and vegetables), riki kur (potato pancakes, often with yak butter or cheese), boiled potatoes with chilli salt, tsampa and butter tea. Most teahouses on the Everest Base Camp trek serve Sherpa stew.
Potatoes
Potatoes reached the Khumbu in the 19th century and transformed life there. Many lodge kitchens still serve them simply: boiled, with salt and a fiery chilli sauce.
Dishes to try
- Shyakpa (Sherpa stew): warming and filling, ideal after a cold day.
- Riki kur: grated potato pancakes, crisp outside and soft inside.
- Tsampa: roasted barley flour mixed with tea.
- Yak cheese and curd in season.
- Chang: a home-brewed grain beer. Best saved for after the trek. See Nepali drinks.
Where to eat it
Teahouses in Namche, Khumjung and Thame, and Sherpa family kitchens. Ask your guide: many have family recipes.
See also Tibetan food and what to eat on a trek.