Nepal’s staple food is Dal Bhaat. The Lonely Planet advises that if ever you find food that is not Dal Bhaat, you should eat it, because your next meal almost certainly will.
In practice, this isn’t particularly true, and even when it is, Dal Bhaat can actually be tremendously tasty.
Around a massive dollop of rice, you’ll find a dish of lentil soup (generally more soup than lentil), some curried vegetables and perhaps a little pickle. If you’re lucky you might also get some meat, a bread or pappadom and some salad. Generally, it’s yummy, filling, and best of all, someone will bring round second and third helpings of everything.
The other commonly found food is the MoMo. A little like a samosa, these white parcels contain fillings varying from fish or buffalo to potato or apple. They can be steamed or fried, and are invariably yummy.
There are of course, other foods on offer for the traveller. ChowMein is offered almost everywhere, and you don’t have to look too far for spaghetti or pizza.
Nepalese breakfast is Puri (like a fried bagel) or Roti/Chappati (a flat, heavy bread) with a vegetable curry or sauce. Again, cornflakes and toast are on offer.
Note that serving times can span up to two hours, no matter what you order. Prepare for a long wait, or order dinner at lunchtime.
Drinks are universally packed full of sugar. Whether you order a fruit juice or a tea, prepare to be smacked round the face with calories and sweetness. Even Fanta is modified for palates here, and appears radioactively orange.
If you eat the local food, it is cheap, tasty and nutritious, virtually wherever you buy it from. I certainly haven’t tired of it yet.
