Food binds and brings us together; it holds memories; it is part of ritual and ceremony, and yet satiates the basic human need for nutrition.
The people of Nepal may live a very frugal life compared to those in the west, but their food culture is simply stunning. In a country rife with poverty, where many people lack basic housing, electricity, plumbing and sanitary living conditions, their access to nutritionally healthy, organic, fresh, abundant produce is possibly well beyond that in many developed countries. Growing food is simply a way of life; it is taken-for-granted that people know how to sow seeds, plant and harvest crops, prepare land for planting and to cook.
People cook from scratch, every day … not just some of the time. Eating together is an important part of family life in Nepal.
Street-side produce stalls are everywhere in Nepal.
People come with their recently harvested produce and set up on the sidewalk alongside other people who may be selling a different crop. In a country where a predominantly vegetarian diet is consumed, there couldn’t be a better way to get all the food required for a family meal. Cooking fresh food here is faster than fast food in the west - and a lot better for families.
The food stalls create a vibrant, often aromatic addition to the urban areas.
The bright colour combinations from fruits and vegetables make for the most stunning array of colour, with less than perfect produce being the norm, unlike the plastic-wrapped normally GMO raised “perfect food” we see in New Zealand supermarkets . The only time I see anything close to food such as what I have seen in Nepal, is at the Saturday Farmers Market in Dunedin, where fresh organic or spray-free food is standard (but expensive), and is becoming increasingly sought-after as people become more pro-active about their personal health and well-being.
Beautiful colours captivate the eye and get the gastric juices flowing
What I see here in Nepal, is that no one would go hungry; there is such an abundance of good produce, that it is possible to make good sustainable, healthy food for a large family with a very small amount of money, or through growing food that is traded with neighbours.
The western world could learn a lot from the food culture of this small country.
A handful of green chilli
There are many distinct styles of cuisine in Nepal which stem from making use of what is available in each geographical area.
The Sherpa peoples in the Himalaya, eat a diet that differs vastly from the Newari of the Kathmandu Valley region, for example. As the country is mainly Hindu with Buddhism making up a substantial but lessor percentage of the population, there is always going to be a diverse array of street food available, but it is also interesting to note that food holds a spiritually significant place in the lives of Nepali as it features predominantly in rituals and festivals.
It is not merely about just survival, it represents spiritual liberation as well.
Street side “butcheries” pop up whenever there is meat.