What is the Famous Food of Ladakh?

Sea Buckthorn Juice
Sea buckthorn is popularly called as the Leh berries. The berry has a high content of Omega 3 fatty acid and is quite tasty.

Sea buckthorn has an interesting story to it. Till 1995 it was used for fencing only after which it was started to be used as a fruit. The fruit is also used to make Jam.

It is a must try as sea buckthorn is not seen anywhere else in India.

A lip-smacking dish of Persian origins, and one of the signature recipes of Kashmir, Rogan josh is also something to look out for a while in Leh.

Rogan means ghee and Josh mean stew. Hence the dish means stewed in ghee.

It is one of the chief constituents of wazwan the Kashmir multi-cuisine meal. The main ingredient of this recipe is the meat of lamb.

The lamb is cooked in a gravy made of onion, garlic, yogurt, garlic, ginger, and spices.

The color of the stew would be red which it acquires from Kashmiri Chillies. Like lamb, beef and Goat variants of this dish is also available.

Chhang
This dish is made in a porcelain pot wherein miller is fermented with the help of yeast. Hot water is then added to it until the strength of miller is lost. It is the local brew of Leh Ladakh region.

It is intoxicating, however at mild levels and is served from a brass kettle. Chang is made of wooden drums called zems.

e local beer after preparation is first tasted by the oldest lady and is given the certificate of good or bad. Distilled chang is called as arak.

Khambir
This is the traditional bread that is again served as a snack with Qahwa or butter tea. It has a pan shape and is slightly thicker than the usual bread.

However, it is crispy in texture. It is usually taken along with fruit jam, which makes it tastier. Butter and egg are the other options.

It could also be used as a side dish to all kinds of soup available at the region.

Cholak
Cholak is a dish consisting of 3 other constituents- Tsampa, Chang, and buttermilk. Tsampa is a staple food of the Ladakhis that is made with roasted grain, saltwater, and barley. It served along with the local beer Chang or buttermilk is called Chola

Gushtaba
Gushtaba is minced mutton prepared in Curd. It contains in its meatballs as it has its origins in Kashmir.

It is hot and spicy owing it to the ingredients – dry ginger, fennel, red chilies, mustard oil, and curd. So Gushtaba is often referred to like the dish of the kings.

To refuse Gushtaba is considered as an act of insult towards the host.

Tangdur
Tangdur is buttermilk that contains in it fresh vegetables and is often consumed as a side dish to Paba.

The ratio of buttermilk to plants depends on a personal choice. The various vegetables used are spinach, lettuce. Cabbage, leaves of sugar beet, and chrysanthemum leaves.

Paba
Paba mentioned earlier, is a staple food of the Ladakhis. The primary ingredients of this dish are Peas and Wheat

The dough for the recipe contains in it wheat, barley, buckwheat, peas and Ladakhi black beans.

Paba flour is termed Yotches. Traditionally, the pot in which Paba is cooked is called as Doltok.

Holkur
Holkur is a kind of biscuit. These are made at home in Ladakh region. It is prepared with multigrain, nuts and sugar and is often served to the tourists visiting the place.

It could be taken as a snack along with Butter tea or Qahwa. It is also accepted as breakfast at times.