Food for thought!
This season, make your way
to Kumaon and savour its delights
The name of the Kumaon
region of Uttarakhand, home to some lofty Himalayan peaks, forests of Chir pine
and deodar, is said to have been derived from `Kurmanchal', meaning land of the
Kurmavatar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu).Every peak, lake or
mountain range that I see here, is somehow or the other connected other
connected with some myth or the name of a God or Goddess. The temples at
Jageshwar, Bageshwar, Binsar and Baijnath are all devoted to Lord Shiva. One
temple that is quirky and a must-visit is the Gollu Devta Temple, situated 6
kms from Almora at a place called Chitai.
Kumaonis are fond of music,
folk dance, and songs accompanied by local musical instruments like murli,
bina, and hurka. An unusual instrument here is the masak-been (bagpipes)
echoing in the valleys and the high mountain ridges, lingering remnants of
colonial powers. The uniqueness of the Kumaoni Holi Festival lies in its being
a musical affair too! The local food which is perhaps best characterised by its
local ingredients, simplicity and freshness. To deal with the low levels of
nutrition in the hills and the extreme climate every Kumaoni meal has the
rather unusual black soybeans (called bhatt) dal with very high protein content
another unusual ingredient in Kumaoni cuisine is cannabis.
Many vegetable preparations
in Kumaon are transformed with the addition of the juice of the ground cannabis
seeds. Ground cannabis powder is also used to make delicious bhang chutney.
Aloo ke gutke is also another omnipresent item on a Kumaoni menupotato wedges
sautéed with whole coriander seeds and other spices in mustard oil. Try the red
rotis made with madua or millet flour that is a major source of iron. If you
have a sweet tooth, don't miss the popular bal mithai a fudge, but covered with
sugar-coated poppy seeds. Another must-try is Singori a sweet te burfi seeds.
Another must-try is Singori a sweet made from evaporated milk cooked in sugar
and coconut and served demurely wrapped in a leaf. The Kumaoni Kitchen also
uses a treasure trove of wild greens like fiddlehead ferns, Lai and plenty of
Bicchoo ghaas (stinging nettle).
The entire region has fruit
laden orchards abundant with apple, plum, apricot, pears, oranges, berries, and
other alpine fruits. One must pick up local honey, rhododendron juice called
Buraansh, fruit murabba, and fine woolen shawls made in Kasauni. This is a sure
way to remember this mountainous region which wows you with its beauty!
Contributed by ET-Panache reader and travel writer Kalpana Sunder
ETTR11FEB16
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