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Published: June 30th 2008
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I found myself spending over one week in Bhaktapur, Nepal. As a result of my friend Stephen in Malaysia, I connected with Rajan in Bhaktapur and his family graciously offered to give me a home for the duration of my stay there. My experiences there were incredible and some of the most stimulating and satisfying times of my journey thus far.
Bhaktapur is a UNESCO world heritage site. The architecture is predominately brick-based and the windows and doors are intricately carved in a traditional style. Walking around the streets is a feast for the eyes as different religious and cultural scenes parade by in the various carvings.
The Newars are one of the oldest cultural groups in the Kathmandu valley and comprise about 50% of the population in the valley. Prior to the country's unification, all people who inhabited the valley were either Newari or progenitors of the Newari. The fine temples and palaces of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are largely the product of Newar architects, artisans, and sculptors.
My days always started with breakfast with the family: milk tea and bread. I would wander the streets or talk to the family exchanging stories and experiences before settling
in for a shared lunch around 10:30-11:00. Afternoons I would always strike out on my own or with one of my new friends and inevitably this would result in finding myself in a local hole in the wall having snacks and rice beer around 16:00. Newari women do not drink much - if at all - and rarely in public. Thus, these places were filled with local men of all ages who would gather and swap gossip before heading home for dinner and time with their families. Despite being a woman, as a foreigner I was granted special permissions and had easy access to spending time in these places with the locals. I am forever grateful to the guys who brought me along as I learned a lot about Newari cuisine and culture as well as got into some interesting debates about politics and economics.
These local 'bars' were usually on the ground level of a building and you knew they were open by the curtain 'door' blowing in the breeze. Each spot had its own specialty and reputation for the strength or quality of their home brewed rice beer or rice whiskey. One spot near Durbar Square just
did boiled potatoes and several types of chilies. The perfect snack before heading out for the rest of your afternoon. Buying boiled potatoes by the pound, you sit at the one table, peel them, and dip into three different chili sauces depending on your preference. Such simple but robust flavors. A spot across the way from where I was staying was known for its buffalo and five of us would easily eat 4-8 snack-sized dishes with spoons or toothpicks while pouring rice beer from 2 liter recycled bottles.
One aspect of Nepali culture in general is sharing. Everything is shared, including cigarettes. If you want a smoke, one gets lit and passed around. It is unheard of to have one by yourself unless you are alone or you are the only smoker. I expressed my surprise at this habit and explained that in the US when you smoke and your friend wants a cigarette but doesn't have one, you just give them one of yours. They thought this was the oddest behavior and incredibly wasteful. Why wouldn't you just share one?
Food
Newar Cuisine is a unique type of cuisine. Mustard oil and a host of spices, such
as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi, bayleaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mustard seeds, vinegar, etc. are used in cooking. All meals or plates were a balance of four flavors: spice, sweet, bitter,
Most home-cooked meals (lunch & dinner) consisted of:
Dahl Baaht - dahl (green lentil soup) and baht (boiled rice)
Pickle - A condiment used to spice and flavor foods. Sometimes dry such as green peas, carrots, green bean and tomato paste. At other times liquid such as roasted tomato that has been ground with onions, garlic and roasted chilis.
Crisp Papad - A flat bread that has been fried such as the well-known Indian Papadum
Potato curry
Bitter vegetable - Often a sauteed green veggie that is served to help digestion
Snack foods include:
Baji (beaten rice)
Puri (flattened bread)
Water Buffalo - Newars are well-known meat eaters and consume a lot of water buffalo if their budgets allow. All parts of the animal are fair game and are prepared various ways. I had warm buffalo curry and buffalo Chhoila which was served room temperature and its flavors were bright and hot. Buffalo tongue made a surprise appearance one afternoon and was
spectacular.
Boild potatoes with chili sauce
Crisp Papadum - without pepper, these are surprisingly addictive
Sauteed garbanzo beans, soya beans, small green peas, onion, chili powder, sliced green chili, crushed peanut and lemon - spicy and amazing
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