It has the exotic ingredients and the exquisite taste, it has the varied tang, and has the perfect blend of the royal  essence and the rustic touch and the simplicity of the mountains, and still it remains relegated to the nooks and corners of Himachal only. I am talking here about Himachali cuisine, how the richness of the culinary art of the hilly state remains confined to a few households, or to occasional events or festivals or menus lists of some Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels or few restaurants/eateries or some food festivals held by few organizations and HPTDC hotels in the state.

A wide variety

It still is steps away from hopping on to the list of the popular buzzing cuisines and menu lists. Different regions of the tiny hill state have a galactic platter to offer ranging from non-vegetarian to vegetarian delicacies including mutton/chicken/trout fish delights besides wild ferns, exotic morel mushrooms; traditional grain/millet assortments with the uniqueness of taste and aromatics to it. On one end of the spectrum where we have the districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti offering cuisines laden with traditional grains and millets and some dishes with an influence of Tibetan cuisines, on the other we have the districts of Chamba, Kangra and Mandi famous for traditional Dhams (feasts) which also carry the eclectic impact of cuisines from Jammu and Punjab to some extent. Of course other regions in the state too have been influenced by the cultural exchange happening therein.

Summer Festivals making Himachali food popular

Amongst the multiple cuisines Sidu/Sidku (steamed bread stuffed with various fillings of meat, lentils, dry fruits, poppy seeds) from Shimla, Kullu and Mandi areas has been able to gain some popularity within the state as it has been showcased frequently in Summer festivals in Shimla and winter carnivals, but it has yet to reach the pervasive upshot that the momos have gained across every possible place.

HPTDC hotels hold Himachal food festivals during the summer festivals and winter carnivals showcasing Himachali food assortments from its various regions and some dishes like red rice, chicken anardana, cha meat, grilled Trout, kulth kee daal, Rajmah, ghandiyali ka madra, chana madra, Chana Rentha, Sepu Vadi, Bedana, Kadu ka Khatta, Sajri Vadi, Gobhi Palda, Mewa Ka Mitha, Lingroo Dahiwala, Khati Rongi, Sepu vadi (from Mandi) bhathu ki kheer, gheya ka meetha, malpuda, siddus ,babru’s, variety of chutneys of apricots, plums, bhang etc. and Kadu ka Mitha etc. get some visibility. The edible fern (Dilplazium esculentum) delicacy of asparagus locally called lingda/linguda has also paved its way into the urban platter as some HPTDC hotels have introduced it in regular platter since past five six years, though it is a seasonal thing.

Other groups that are at work

Himalayan Research Group (HRG), has also made some efforts to revive and popularize the traditional cuisines of Kinnaur through the Sangla Household Tourism Festival since 2008. They have attempted to showcase cuisines made of varieties of traditional crops of buckwheat locally called Phaphra (Fagopyrum tatricum) and Ogla ( Fagopyrum esculentum) which once formed a part of the staple diet of people of Kinnaur. Local food court at the festival exhibits many local cuisines and sweets likes jalebis made from buckwheat flour served either with honey or yak butter (Chanta). In Shimla a small eatery Himachali Rasoi too has made attempts to serve Himachali cuisine and there are many across the state serving the hilly platter.

But the question remains that inspite of having a vivid palate and a range of dishes which are quite exciting and savouring, why the cuisines of the state or the ‘Himachali Thali’ has not been able to join the bandwagon of popular cuisines. Why it has not been able to position itself strategically in the cuisine world outside the state, is it the lack of marketing strategies or what? Searching for answers…Meanwhile one can keep on enjoying the Himachali food wherever and whenever available.