Chitwan is popular among visitors for the nature, wilderness, wildlife, and rich culture. Besides, the people of Chitwan have been related to food and farming for ages. Cultivating daily food and cash crops such as rice, maize, wheat, beans, lentils, mustard, and vegetables is one of the major parts of the lifestyle of the Chitwan people. Additionally, the people of Chitwan belong to several ethnic communities but are majorly dominant by the Tharus and Newars. Thus you will get to experience authentic Tharu and Newari delicacies. If you are in Chitwan or planning to visit Chitwan, you will love exploring the following places for some exquisite cuisines. So, for all the foodies out there we present you top five food to eat in Chitwan and the list is mentioned below:
Ghonghi (Snail) is certainly the most common and popular food of the Tharu community of Nepal. More than just a cuisine, Ghonghi is rather considered a delicacy served with the ground linseed soup. The most fascinating about this dish is the way you eat it. Yes, Ghonghi is supposed to be eaten in a certain way by sucking the snail from its shell itself. You can find eateries serving Ghonghi all over the marketplace in Chitwan.
Taas is one of the most popular dishes in Chitwan. In fact, Chitwan is known for serving the best Tass across the country. Tass refers to spicy fried goat meat served with a combination of a few other dishes together like spicy fried goat meat, beaten rice, spicy lentil crackers, bhujia, fermented radish pickle, and any cold beverage as per your choice. You can find delicious Taas around special food spots named Tass corners in Chitwan or you can also choose any other regular hotels in the Chitwan marketplace to eat Taas.
Dhikri is an elongated rice dish made out of steaming rice dough which is a common dish among the Tharus of west Nepal. Dhikri is often eaten with lentil soup, curry, or spicy sidra chutney, another traditional Tharu food. Sidra chutney literally refers to dried fish pickles prepared from dried fish and spices. The best place to find Dhikri and sidra would be Tharu habitat and homestays. However, you can also choose to eat these dishes in any local eateries in Chitwan.
Patushni is also known as Aairkanchan also known as Khariya. It is prepared by wrapping rice or legumes paste and spices in taro or colocasia leaves, steamed, sliced, and then deep-fried. Legumes used in this dish are generally black lentils or either rice-beans. This dish can be eaten as a snack with refreshing tea. Any local eateries around Chitwan that serve the above-mentioned dishes will serve Patushni along with some side dishes as you wish.
Although the massive population of Chitwan is dominated by the Tharu culture, there are still some Newari communities living in Chitwan. So if you want to try something different from Tharu food, you can also try eating the Newari Khaja set. A typical Newari khaja set can be eaten as a brunch or snack. It consists of over 10 dishes: Chiura (Beaten Rice), Chatamari (Rice Flour Crepe), Aalu Tama (Potato and Boiled Shoots curry), Chwela (Barbecued and marinated buffalo meat), Bhatmaas (Black soybeans), Aalu ko achar (Spicy Potato Salad), Juju Dhau (the Royal curd), Bodi ko Achar (Boiled Beans mixed with spices), Sanya (Fried Fish), Khen (Boiled Fried Egg), Palu (Fresh Ginger Rhizomes), Wo/ Bara (Lentil Patties), Saag/Waucha (Green leafy vegetables) and Ayla (Homemade alcohol).
Chitwan can be a great place to explore local ethnic cuisine for even foodies. The food served in Chitwan has a distinctly regional flavor. Most of the Chitwan resorts and hotels, geared toward Chitwan wildlife viewers, is a blend of local and western cuisine. Cuisines such as Nepalese, Continental, Indian, Thai, Himalayan Chinese, and others are available in these resorts. The chefs in each resort are superbly talented in making each dish taste superb and can satisfy your taste. However, you can always choose to eat other dishes as there are so many Nepalese fast food options like Momo, Dal Bhat, Sukuti Khaja Set, and others.
