Ladakh Food / Cuisine

Ladakh serves a variety of Tibetan, Korean, Chinese, and Continental dishes. When it comes to the traditional food of Ladakh, the use of dry fruits (walnuts, almonds and raisins), spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, saffron, etc) and additive spices (asafoetida or Hing, Saunf or aniseed, chillies and dry ginger) are a must to provide a pleasant aroma and flavour to the food.

Ladakh also celebrates the grand feast 'Wazawan' just like other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. This feast includes a 36-course delicious meal, the trend of which started with the Wazas. Wazawan consists of mostly non-vegetarian dishes.

Ladakhi fields are known for the cultivation of rice, potatoes, pumpkins, beetroot, and beans.

The Ladakhis serve a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes, most of which can also be found in the other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Vegetarian Specialties

• Dam-Aaloo and Chaman
• Korma Sag (made from the popular Dal Lake vegetable 'Lak')
• Veg Momos
• Saag (made from thick-leafed green leafy vegetable 'hak')
• Lotus Root
• Apricot Jam

Along with these specialities, Ladakh serves all the vegetarian dishes of India.

Non-Vegetarian Specialties

• Thukpa (noodles cooked in mutton soup)
• Skieu (made with veggies, mutton and flour)
• Yakhni and Tabaq Naat (made of fried ribs)
• Non-Veg Momos
• Roghan Josh (the juiciest curried mutton, cooked in Yoghurt)
• Yaknee (similar to Roghan Josh; prepared with the generous use of Kashmiri chillies)
• Gushtaba (pounded and spiced meat balls cooked in a yoghurt sauce)
• Rista (rice balls but with less meat and less spice in the sauce)
• Marchwangan Korma (hot mutton curry, usually served with rice and Nan)
• Methi Korma (vegetables with chopped intestines)

There are several restaurants and eating joints that are known for their specialities. People who prefer Tibetan cuisine, can visit the Himalaya Cafe while Shangri La is the place for Korean food lovers. For Chinese and authentic Kashmiri Cuisine, Budshah Inn tops the chart. Dreamland Restaurant is an ideal family restaurant that serves Tibetan, Kashmiri, Indian and Italian food. Another favourite place for the Italian lovers is Mentokling Restaurant that offers pizzas cooked over a traditional wood-fired oven. Besides several bars and restaurants, there is a famous bakery 'Pumpernickel German Bakery', which offers lasagna, breakfast and other picnic meals. Ladakh serves the choicest selection of vegetarian and non vegetarian meals. The rich and aromatic flavour of the cuisine of Ladakh draws a number of tourists from all over the world.