Kalimpong travel guide

Momos

The Himalayan dumpling beloved across North India—half-moon shaped steamed or fried wheat dough filled with pork, chicken, vegetable or cheese; the Tibetan-Nepali original is best at source in Gangtok, Darjeeling and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway towns

Thukpa

Tibetan noodle soup found throughout the Himalayas—hand-rolled wheat noodles in a clear or tomato broth with vegetables and sometimes meat; Sikkim and Darjeeling's versions use yak or pork; warming at altitude and available at 3am from street vendors during the cold months

Cheese

India's artisanal mountain cheese culture in Himachal, Uttarakhand and Arunachal—kaladi of Jammu, churpi of the Himalayas, tikri of HP; not Western-style cheese but ancient local traditions; also Amul's processed varieties and modern artisanal cheeses from Pune and Bengaluru

Local honey

India's regional honey diversity—each geographic zone produces a distinct honey; Sundarbans mangrove honey, Nilgiri forest honey, Himalayan cliff honey, Rajasthan desert honey; the flavor range from floral to medicinal; local beekeeper cooperatives in hill stations sell directly to visitors

Nepali thali

The complete Nepali-style meal found in Darjeeling and Sikkim—dal bhat tarkari on a steel thali with gundruk, spinach, achar, papad and sometimes a small piece of meat; unlimited dal refills are standard and expected; eaten with right hand in traditional fashion