Tibetan cooking is part of daily life across Nepal's mountains and in the Tibetan communities around Boudhanath and Pokhara. It is warming, simple food made for cold places.
Quick answer: Try thukpa (noodle soup), thenthuk (hand-pulled noodle soup), momos (dumplings), tingmo (steamed bread), shapale (fried meat pies) and butter tea. The best places are the restaurants around Boudhanath, Tibetan settlements in Pokhara and teahouses in the high mountains.
Dishes to try
- Thukpa: noodle soup with vegetables or meat. Ideal on a cold evening.
- Thenthuk: soup with flat, hand-pulled noodle pieces.
- Momos: Tibetan in origin, now Nepal's favourite snack. See what are momos?
- Tingmo: soft, twisted steamed bread, often with a spicy stew.
- Shapale: crisp fried pies filled with spiced meat.
- Tsampa: roasted barley flour, mixed with tea and butter. A traditional staple.
- Tibetan bread: fried flatbread, a classic trekking breakfast with honey.
Butter tea
Tea churned with butter and salt. It is more like soup than tea to most visitors, but it is warming and good for hydration at altitude. Try it at least once, in a monastery or a mountain kitchen.
Where to try it
- Around Boudhanath and in Jawalakhel, Kathmandu.
- Tibetan settlements near Pokhara.
- Teahouses in Mustang, Dolpo, Langtang and the Khumbu.
See also Sherpa food and Nepali food.