We Are What We Eat - A Sherpa Cookbook

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10-1-2011
We Are What We Eat: A Sherpa Cookbook
Renee Horen
SIT Graduate Institute - Study Abroad, renh719@yahoo.com
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Recommended Citation
Horen, Renee, "We Are What We Eat: A Sherpa Cookbook" (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. Paper 1233.
htp://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1233
We Are WhaL We LaL:
A Sherpa Cookbook

keoee noteo
AcoJemlc ultectot. Ooloos, lsobelle
5eolot locolty AJvlsot. uecleet, nobett
uolvetslty of klcbmooJ
Ametlcoo 5toJles
Aslo, Nepol, 5olokbombo, Ioobesl ooJ 5olletle
5obml tteJ l o pottl ol fol fl l l meot of tbe tepol temeots fot Nepol .
1l betoo ooJ nl mol oyoo leopl es, 5l 1 5toJy AbtooJ, lol l 2011
1hls sLudy ls an analysls of food ln Sherpa culLure. lL conLalns an overvlew of Sherpa
reclpes and meLhods for food preparaLlon as well as an exploraLlon of Lhe role
whlch food plays ln dlfferenL secLors of Sherpa llfe. 1he goal of Lhls sLudy ls Lo
faclllLaLe a wlder knowledge abouL Sherpa culslne and Lhe Sherpa people as a
whole. 1he fleldwork for Lhls sLudy was conducLed ln Solukhumbu, speclflcally Lhe
vlllages of !unbesl and Sallerle, from november 6, 2001 Lo uecember 1, 2011

!"#$%" '($#) *($+"

MeaL Mo-Mo's 9
1sampa 11
1hukpa 12
Shakpa 14
uough 13
kur 17
1e Mo-mo 18
8lldhuk 23
kakslr 23
ual 8haL 33
Syan 39
halghl 42
Poml ?arl 44
1lbeLan 1ea 48
Chaang 30

,-./" 01 2034"345

AcknowledgemenLs 3
A noLe on language 4
lnLroducLlon 6
1he Crlgln of Lhe Sherpas 8
Where 1he Sherpas Llve 13
Pow Sherpas Larn a Llvlng 37
Age 44
WhaL Sherpas value 47
lood and Sherpa 8ellglous 8ellefs 31

Acknow|edgements

Many people were fundamenLal ln Lhe creaLlon of Lhls pro[ecL. l would flrsL and foremosL llke Lo Lhank my Academlc ulrecLor, lsabelle Cnlans, for
her encouragemenL and supporL ln Lhe lnlLlal sLages of Lhls pro[ecL when lL was [usL a vague concepL ln my mlnd. Per enLhuslasm abouL Lhe
poLenLlal for my lS fueled my passlon and gave me Lhe confldence and creaLlve llcense Lo creaLe Lhe pro[ecL LhaL l am presenLlng Loday.
Secondly, l would llke Lo Lhank all my lnformanLs for Lhelr klndness and paLlence ln worklng wlLh me on Lhls pro[ecL. 1hroughouL my research many
people opened Lhelr homes and klLchens Lo me and l cannoL express how much l appreclaLe Lhelr generoslLy. Speclflcally, l would llke Lo Lhank Mr.
asang Lama and hls wlfe and daughLer, Candl and uolma Lama for allowlng me Lo sLay wlLh Lhem and LreaLlng me as lf l were one of Lhelr own.
My pro[ecL could never have been creaLed wlLhouL Lhelr frlendshlp and guldance.
nexL l would llke Lo Lhank Mr. Ang nylma for Laklng Lhe Llme Lo Leach me abouL Sherpa food and culLure and for counsellng me prlor Lo my [ourney
Lo Solukhumbu.
l would also llke Lo Lhank hls son, Mr. asang 8lnzl, for hls Lremendous asslsLance ln helplng me Lo obLaln Lhe Sherpa spelllngs whlch are feaLured
ln Lhls pro[ecL. ln addlLlon, l musL Lhank hlm for provldlng me wlLh my own quleL corner Lo wrlLe ln when l was mosL ln need of a sllenL space Lo
work.
And flnally l would llke Lo Lhank Mr. uendl Sherpa, wlLhouL whom my Lravel Lo Solukhumbu would never have been posslble.

A Note on Language

1he Sherpa language ls a Slno-1lbeLan language spoken ln nepal, 1lbeL, and lndla. Accordlng Lo Lhe 2001 Census ln nepal Lhere are 130,000 Sherpa
speakers ln nepal. Whlle lL ls posslble Lo wrlLe Sherpa ln elLher uevanagarl or 1lbeLan scrlpL, mosL naLlve Sherpa speakers do noL recognlze a
wrlLLen form of Lhe Sherpa language. lL ls predomlnaLely a spoken language wlLh varlous dlalecLs and llLLle sLandardlzaLlon. WrlLLen Sherpa
language ls a modern creaLlon. ln uecember of 2003 Lhe Sherpa SocleLy, deemed 1lbeLan scrlpL as Lhe offlclal scrlpL of Lhe Sherpa language when
Lhey made Lhe declslon Lo prlnL Sherpa elemenLary school LexLbooks ln 1lbeLan scrlpL.
l
1hls declslon was made ln splLe of Lhe facL LhaL mosL naLlve
Sherpa speakers cannoL read or wrlLe 1lbeLan scrlpL. Cn Lhe oLher hand, many Sherpa speakers can read and wrlLe ln uevanagarl because Lhey
speak nepall whlch also uses uevanagarl scrlpL. Powever Lhe declslon was made ln reverence of Lhe Sherpa people's 1lbeLan herlLage and sLrong
connecLlon Lo 1lbeLan 8uddhlsm.
uurlng Lhe lnLervlew process for Lhls pro[ecL l lnLeracLed wlLh many naLlve Sherpa speakers buL none of Lhem knew how Lo read or wrlLe ln 1lbeLan
scrlpL. 1herefore, ln Lhe pages Lo come, all Sherpa words wlll be wrlLLen ln an Lngllsh LransllLeraLlon reflecLlng Lhe proper pronunclaLlon followed
by a LranscrlpLlon ln parenLhesls represenLlng Lhelr proper spelllng ln uevanagarl scrlpL. ln addlLlon a glossary of Lerms ls provlded ln Appendlx A.

"#$% &''() (*&+,* $)- .) . /*'/0*1 . 2$03$%*1 .,( '&3*,3+4*) . ,.3+',5 5 5
67' 8* .%* +) 7'8 8* *.39

-Richard Ragan, The Life of Food in Nepal

!" #$%&'()*%+'$
-./&01'(0 /2%3" 1hls ls a baslc facL of llfe, LhaL all people, glven LhaL Lhey have Lhe means, consume some Lype of food on a dally basls.
AlLhough Lhls ls a common facLor whlch on some level may unlfy us all as one people, Lhe food produced and consumed by any glven lndlvldual, or
culLure as a whole, dlvldes us by who we are and where we come from. lood consumpLlon ls more Lhan [usL an acL of survlval and wlLhln our
eaLlng hablLs lays greaLer meanlng Lhan purely susLenance. LaLlng ls a form of expresslon shaped by hlsLory and llmlLed by presenL clrcumsLance.
WhaL we eaL, how we eaL, and when we eaL, can Lell an lnLrlcaLe sLory abouL Lhe Lype of llfe we lead.

l orlglnally seL ouL on Lhls pro[ecL because of my love for food and lnLeresL Lo sLudy someLhlng new. ln Lhe several leadlng nepall cookbooks,
Sherpa culslne, alLhough Lhe Sherpa people are a popular eLhnlc group ln nepal, recelves zero represenLaLlon. lor some, Lhls may be an
undersLandable overslghL, glven Lhe llmlLed varleLy of Sherpa food ln comparlson Lo Lhe dlverslLy whlch ls produced from 1hakall and newarl
klLchens. 8uL for oLhers lL ls an lnvlLaLlon Lo delve lnLo Lhe greaLer meanlng whlch lles behlnd Lhls slmple food.

lor Lhls pro[ecL, l spenL Lhree weeks dolng fleld work ln Solukhumbu. l llved prlmarlly ln Lhe vlllages of !unbesl and Sallerle so LhaL l would have
access Lo Lhe SaLurday markeL ln Sallerle. l conducLed one on one and group lnLervlews wlLh Sherpas of dlfferenL ages, sexes, and occupaLlons, and
spenL as much Llme ln as many klLchens as posslble. WhaL l found was LhaL some of Lhe mosL lnLeresLlng pleces of lnformaLlon l recelved where
glven by lnformanLs when l [usL happened Lo be around raLher Lhan when l was asklng dlrecL quesLlon. Cnce communlLy members learned of my
lnLeresLs Lhey were eager Lo polnL ouL LldblLs of lnformaLlon whenever Lhey came Lo mlnd.

As l began conducLlng my research, l reallzed Lhe nlche LhaL exlsLs for Lhls Lype of work. Lach year Lhousand of LourlsL and Lrekkers flock Lo
Solukhumbu wlLh only a vague concepLlon of Lhe people who llve Lhere. 1he vasL ma[orlLy of forelgners who l encounLered ln Solukhumbu came
Lo Lhe reglon wlLh Shangrl-la noLlons abouL Lhe Sherpa people and Solukhumbu as a whole, buL wlLh llLLle acLual knowledge. 1hls vold dld noL
necessarlly represenL a lack of lnLeresL, many people were lnqulslLlve and eager Lo sample Lhe local culslne once Lhe Loplc was breached. 8uL
prevlously Lhey were under Lhe lmpresslon LhaL dal bhaaL was Lhe maln sLaple of Sherpa culslne, when ln facL dal ls only a recenL lnLroducLlon. lL ls
my hope LhaL Lhls may be a gulde for anyone lnLeresLed, and lL ls for Lhose who have a genulne lnLeresL ln Lhe people of Lhe mounLalns and noL
[usL Lhe mounLalns LhaL l am compleLlng Lhls pro[ecL. 1he sLrucLure of Lhe pro[ecL reflecLs Lhls noLlon ln LhaL each chapLer ls organlzed around
whaL Lhe food can Lell you abouL Lhe people. lL ls my hope LhaL lL may be a dellclous learnlng experlence for all lnvolved.
ln general, Sherpa food ls a comblnaLlon of a few baslc lngredlenLs whlch can be readlly grown ln Solukhumbu and a large porLlon of lLs LasLlness ls
creaLed by Lhe freshness of Lhe lngredlenLs. ln addlLlon, Lhere are a few maln sLaple dlshes whlch are recognlzed as Sherpa" buL no wrlLLen
reclpes or speclflc lngredlenL amounLs. Sherpa chlldren learn Lo cook aL a young age by waLchlng Lhelr parenLs and slowly Laklng on klLchen
responslblllLles. 1hey do so by acqulrlng a feel for how Lo creaLe dlfferenL dlshes and Lhe food ls frequenLly sampled durlng Lhe cooklng processes
Lo allow for ad[usLmenLs by addlng dlfferenL splces. Cf course lnaccuraLe cooklng measuremenLs wlll vary from person Lo person, buL slmllarly Lhe
LasLlng preference and quanLlLy able Lo be consumed wlll vary from person Lo person. 8ecause Lhere are no measurlng cups or speclflcs ln a
Sherpa klLchen, l wlll make llLLle aLLempL Lo quanLlfy Lhe lngredlenLs used based on forelgn sLandards. lnsLead l wlll Lry only Lo descrlbe Lhe
lngredlenLs and Lhelr quanLlLles based on Sherpa lnLerpreLaLlons. ln some cases Lhls may lead Lo confuslon, buL resL assured even experlenced
Sherpa chefs make mls[udgmenLs whlch can lead Lo mealLlme caLasLrophe. ln almosL all cases, Lhe food ls consumed anyways buL only afLer
several [okes have been made aL Lhe cook's expense and Lhey have learned a valuable lesson for Lhelr nexL aLLempL. lL ls a culslne LhaL ls easlly
Lallored Lo Lhe eaLer's preferences and one whlch provldes room for experlmenLaLlon and personallzaLlon. WlLh LhaL ln mlnd, when Lrylng Lo cook
any of Lhe reclpes presenLed ln Lhls book lL ls besL noL Lo be overly concerned wlLh quanLlLles and speclflc lnsLrucLlons. Cne poLaLo Loo many wlll
noL ruln a meal and almosL any dlsh can be recLlfled wlLh a llLLle exLra chlll or salL. 1he besL advlce LhaL l can glve ls LhaL Lrylng Lo obLaln a general
noLlon of whaL Lhe meal ls LhaL you are cooklng wlll help you deLermlne how much of each lngredlenL you should add, and always remember Lo
LasLe LesL ofLen. lf you do happen Lo make a blunder, Lake solace ln Lhe facL LhaL you have [usL [olned Lhe lnner ranks of Sherpa cooks, who have
all made mlsLakes ln Lhe pasL, and you're nexL aLLempL wlll undoubLedly be beLLer.
4" 56/ 7&+8+$ '9 %6/ :6/&;23
1lbetoo Mo-Mos.

lL may seem lronlc Lo begln a Sherpa cookbook wlLh mo-
mo's, a 1lbeLan food lLem, buL Lhe lnLegraLlon of several
LradlLlonally 1lbeLan dlshes lnLo Lhe Sherpa culslne
lndlcaLes Lhe orlgln of Lhe Sherpa people. Whlle Lhere
are no speclflc records, lL ls wldely known LhaL Sherpas
are Lhe descendanLs of 1lbeLan khampas who flrsL came
Lo Solukhumbu ln Lhe laLe 13
Lh
cenLury because of
ldeologlcal dlspuLes wlLh nelghborlng 1lbeLans.
Accordlng Lo one LradlLlon, Lhe Sherpas Lravelled ouL of
1lbeL easL of Lhe 8olwallng Plmal lnLo Solu and laLer
mlgraLed agaln Lo khumbu.
2
Powever, accordlng Lo
anoLher LradlLlon Lhe Sherpas mlgraLed dlrecLly lnLo
khumbu vla Lhe nang La ass.
3
1he word Sherpa, or
Sharwa as Lhey are also someLlmes called, means
LasLerner", a name whlch Lhey acqulred when Lhey
arrlved ln Solukhumbu from 1lbeL. MosL Sherpas
recognlze elghLeen dlfferenL clan names, alLhough a
deLalled sLudy ln Lhe 1970's revealed LhaL Lhere are
acLually LwenLy one, Chlawa, Chusherwa, Cardza, Cole,
Coparma, !ongdomba, khambadze, Lakslndu, Lama,
Lhukpa, Mende, Munmlng, nawa, aldor[e, ankarma,
lnasa, Salaka, Shangup, Sherwa, Shlre, and 1hakLu".
4

1he descrepency ln number ls because some clans are so
closely relaLed LhaL Lhey are acLually wldely recognlzed
as belng Lhe same. When Lhe Sherpas mlgraLed,
naLurally Lhey broughL many 1lbeLan foods wlLh Lhem
such as mo-mos (sLeamed or frled dumpllngs), Lsampa
(roasLed barley), and Lhenduk (noodle soup). 1hese
dlshes have become fully lnLegraLed lnLo Lhe Sherpa
culslne and Sherpas place llLLle Lo no lmporLance on
dlsLlngulshlng beLween whlch foods are orlglnally
1lbeLan and whlch foods are Sherpa.

!"#$ !&'!&()
(u. ma ma )
Ingred|ents
llour, Warm WaLer, A heaplng Lablespoon
of crushed glnger, garl lc, and salL, llnely Chopped Cnlon,
Cround MeaL, Cooklng oll.

1o Cook
1. Cradually add waLer Lo flour Lo make a dough. 1he
dough should be flrm buL noL sLlcky. knead well for
several mlnuLes afLer Lhe dough has formed. 1hls may
be laborlous buL lf Lhe dough ls noL kneaded well
enough Lhe mo-mos wlll break aparL.
2. ln a large bowl, comblne Lhe crushed glnger and garllc,
wlLh chopped onlon and ground meaL.
J. Sprlnkle wlLh salL, Lurmerlc powder, and ground cumln
seed, you should use enough Lo provlde a llghL coaLlng
Lo Lhe enLlre Lop of Lhe mlxLure.
4. PeaL cooklng oll and pour lnLo Lhe bowl. lL should be
enough Lo make all of Lhe lngredlenLs sllghLly weL buL
noL saLuraLed.
5. Mlx wlLh hand. 1he oll should acL as a glue Lo sLlck all
of Lhe lngredlenLs LogeLher.
6. 8lp off small segmenLs of Lhe dough and roll flaL lnLo
round palm slzed pleces.
7. Mo-mos can be folded lnLo many dlfferenL shapes buL
Lhe mosL common are crescenL moon and round. See
nexL page for lnsLrucLlons on how Lo fold.
6

1o Io|d the Mo-Mo's
a. 1o make crescenL shape mo-mos: Pold Lhe dough ln Lhe palm of
your lefL hand. lace a small dollop of Lhe meaL mlxLure onLo Lhe
cenLer of Lhe dough. lold Lhe dough ln half over Lhe fllllng and
plnch closed aL one end Lo seal. keeplng your flngers ln Lhe
plnched poslLlon, wlLh your Lhumb on Lhe back of Lhe mo-mo as
a supporL, reach forward wlLh your foreflnger Lo grab more
dough and plnch agaln. ConLlnuously reach for more dough and
plnch wlLh your foreflnger formlng a crescenL half moon shape.
b. 1o make round mo-mos: Pold Lhe dough flaL ln Lhe palm of your
lefL hand. lace a small dollop of fllllng lnLo Lhe cenLer of Lhe
dough. lnch an edge LogeLher aL any polnL, uslng your Lhumb
and foreflnger. 8each for more dough wlLh your foreflnger and
conLlnue Lo plnch worklng your way around ln a clrcle unLll Lhe
mom ls sealed and you have formed a ball.

Mo-mo Sauce
reparlng a dellclous mo-mo sauce ls an essenLlal parL of maklng mo-mos. And Lhere are several opLlons dependlng on personal preference.
1. PeaL oll ln a pan.
2. Cver low heaL, comblne Lwo handfuls of crushed, fresh or dry chllles, and a large handful of chopped garllc.
3. Add Lwo heaplng Lablespoons of flour and 2 Lablespoons of salL. Mlx well
4. Sprlnkle wlLh a good helplng of Lurmerlc powder
3. Add hoL waLer, lL should be enough Lo cover Lhe lngredlenLs.
6. Add Lwo large handfuls of bolled, peeled LomaLoes ().
7. ConLlnue Lo cook over low heaL and blend unLll you have achleved a smooLh llquld conslsLency.
lf a blender ls avallable, aL sLep slx Lhe sauce and LomaLoes may be comblned and blended ln an elecLrlc blender Lo save Llme.

|nch|ng a cresent moon-shaped mo-mo c|osed.

532<;2 (camp ), roasLed barley flour, ls anoLher 1lbeLan dlsh Lhrough whlch Sherpas express Lhelr ancesLry. PlsLorlcally, Lsampa has been a
maln sLaple ln Lhe 1lbeLan dleL because lL ls fllllng, hlghly sulLable for cold cllmaLes, and easy Lo prepare. ln recenL years, especlally ln Lhe face of
confllcL wlLh Chlna, Lsampa has been used as a unlfylng quallLy of Lhe 1lbeLan people. ollLlcally moLlvaLed messages have been lssued urglng Lhe
Lsampa eaLers" Lo band LogeLher and Lake acLlon.
3

AddlLlonally, Lhe Amerlcan lood and urug AdmlnlsLraLlon (luA) and 1he new ?ork 1lmes have come ouL ln favor of Lsampa's healLh beneflLs. ln
2006 1he lood and urug AdmlnlsLraLlon announced LhaL SclenLlflc evldence lndlcaLes LhaL lncludlng barley ln a healLhy dleL can help reduce Lhe
rlsk of coronary hearL dlsease by lowerlng bad cholesLerol (low denslLy llpo-proLelns) and LoLal cholesLerol levels." And 1he new ?ork 1lmes also
concluded LhaL barley-lncluslve" dleL ls 'reducLlon of rlsk for cancer of Lhe sLomach and lnLesLlne', 'reducLlon of rlsk of cardlovascular dlseases',
'reducLlon of rlsk of 1ype 2 dlabeLes ', 'sLlmulaLlon of Lhe lmmune sysLem', and 'conLrlbuLlon Lo reducLlon of Lhe rlsk of obeslLy'.
7

When Lhe Sherpas mlgraLed from 1lbeL, Lhey broughL Lhls nourlshlng sLaple wlLh Lhem. And because lL grows ln Lhe hlgh alLlLude flelds of
Solukhumbu equally as well as on Lhe 1lbeLan laLeau, lL ls sLlll eaLen almosL
every day.
reparlng Lsampa ls qulck and easy and can be done ln a number of dlfferenL
ways, Lhe mosL common of whlch are:
1sooq-qom, meanlng Lo eaL Lhe powder dry. When dolng Lhls you can Lake
a handful sLralghL from Lhe bowl and puL lL ln your mouLh, buL be careful noL
Lo lnhale even sllghLly or else Lhe flne powder wlll become lodged ln your
LhroaL and cause you Lo choke.
cbom-Jot, Lyplcally eaLen for breakfasL ls Lsampa porrldge. Sprlnkle some
sugar, a plnch of salL and a small lump of buLLer on Lop of Lhe dry Lsampa.
1hen add elLher hoL waLer, black Lea, 1lbeLan Lea, or hoL mllk, dependlng on
your LasLe preferences. CenLly fold Lhe Lsampa lnLo Lhe llquld. Add more
llquld lf necessary Lo achleve porrldge conslsLency.
looq, a sofL, malleable dough LhaL can be eaLen ln small lumps. ?ou can
make paag by addlng Lhe same lngredlenLs LhaL you puL ln Lsampa porrldge excepL add less hoL llquld so LhaL Lhe Lsampa becomes a sofL clay
raLher Lhan a soupy porrldge.
8

1hese are Lhe mosL LradlLlonal meLhods of eaLlng Lsampa, buL ln a modern klLchen anyLhlng from peanuL buLLer Lo honey or clnnamon can be added Lo sulL your
preferences.
56)=;2

A slmple soop of oooJles, veqetobles, ooJ posslbly meot, 1bokpo ls eoteo ftepoeotly by 5betpos eltbet os o soock ot os Jlooet.
Ingred|ents
WheaL
Lgg
WaLer
CarroLLs
Splnach
Corlander
Cnlon
Clnger
Carllc
Chlll
Cumln seed
1urmerlc owder
SalL
1o Cook:
Make a dough of wheaL, egg, and waLer
8oll flaL and cuL lnLo long sLrlps
8oll Lhe noodles unLll Lhey are [usL sllghLly undercooked.
ln a pan, heaL oll and fry onlon unLll llghLly brown
Add glnger, garllc, chlll, cumln seed, Lurmerlc powder, and salL. SLlr well and fry for several mlnuLes.
Add carroLs.
Add noodles, allow Lo cook for a few mlnuLes
Add splnach and chopped corlander. Allow Lo cook for one Lo Lwo mlnuLes.
(u. Lhukp khu )

3. Where Lhe Sherpas Llve
1he ma[orlLy of Lhe Sherpa people llve ln Solukhumbu, a dlsLrlcL ln
Lhe norLheasL of nepal Lucked wlLhln Lhe Plmalayan MounLalns.
1hey are well known for belng mounLaln people, llvlng amongsL
some of Lhe world's hlghesL snow-capped peaks. AlLhough
beauLlful, llfe ln Lhe mounLalns can be harsh, and consequenLly Lhe
Sherpa dleL ls deslgned Lo defend agalnsL Lhe unforglvlng cold. PoL
dlshes, boLh ln LemperaLure and splce, speclflcally sLews, are
frequenLly consumed Lo provlde warmLh from Lhe lnslde ouL.
1he dlsLrlcL of Solukhumbu ls broken lnLo Lhree smaller secLlons,
khumbu, harak, and Solu. khumbu ls Lhe hlghesL, wlLh summer
vlllages slLLlng above 13,000fL and wlnLer vlllages aL an average of
12,000-13,000fL .
9
harak slLs sllghLly lower aL alLlLudes of 8,000-
9,000fL wlLh vlllages runnlng along Lhe uudh khosl gorge.
10
And
Solu ls Lhe lowesL, characLerlzed by broad valleys, rhodendrons, and
plne foresLs.
11
lood ln Solukhumbu ls llmlLed Lo crops LhaL can grow
aL hlgh alLlLudes and lL ls esLlmaLed LhaL 70 of Lhe populaLlon ln
Solu khumbu does noL have enough food due Lo Lhe dlfflculLy of
culLlvaLlng crops.
12
1he ulsLrlcL AgrlculLural Cfflce ln Sallerle
esLlmaLes LhaL 4,072 meLrlc Lons of addlLlonal food would be
needed ln order Lo sufflclenLly feed Lhe enLlre populaLlon of Solu
khumbu.
12
1hls esLlmaLlon does noL lmply LhaL Lhere ls mass
sLarvaLlon ln Lhe reglon, buL raLher lL lmplles LhaL Lhe ma[orlLy of
people's dleLs are noL sufflclenL due Lo llmlLed producLlon. Cf Lhe
LoLal land of Solukhumbu, 3,397,676 hecLares, only 43, 338 hecLors
ls sulLable for farmlng and only 40,631 hecLares are acLually
culLlvaLed.
13

A hearty corn and bean stew to ward off the co|d of the n|ma|ayan Mounta|ns

Ingred|ents
urled or fresh meaL lf lLs avallable.
oLaLoes
CarroLs
Splnach
Carllc
Cnlons
karela
A couple chllles
1urmerlc owder
SalL
llour

1o Cook:
1. Comblne flour and waLer Lo make a Lhlck dough and make noodles.
See followlng page for dlrecLlons.
2. PeaL oll ln Lhe boLLom of a poL or wok.
3. lry a small handful of chopped onlon. Allow Lo fry for a mlnuLe and Lhen add a heaplng Lablespoon of crushed garllc, chllles and glnger.
4. Add a dash of Lurmerlc powder and a Lablespoon of salL.
3. Add meaL, chopped lnLo small pleces.
6. Add chopped poLaLoes and carroLs, sLlrrlng frequenLly.
7. Add karela
8. Cnce Lhe lngredlenLs have become sllghLly cooked, add Lhe deslred amounL of hoL waLer Lo make a soup. lL should be enough Lo aL leasL
cover everyLhlng ln Lhe poL.
9. 8rlng Lhe waLer Lo a boll. Add noodles. 8e sure Lo leL Lhe waLer boll flrsL, oLherwlse Lhe noodles wlll all sLlck LogeLher.
10. Add chopped splnach.
"#$%&$
(u. sy kp )
A splcy stew, olso koowo os 5betpo 5tew

11. Allow Lo boll unLll all lngredlenLs are fully cooked
12. SalL Lo LasLe
14

5' <2=/ (')86>

ln Sherpa culLure a slmple
dough of flour and waLer ls
used Lo make noodles for many
dlfferenL Lypes soups.

uL flour ln a large bowl.
Cradually add waLer whlle
kneadlng Lhe dough. Addlng
waLer Loo qulckly wlll make Lhe
dough sLlcky and hard Lo
manage. ConLlnue Lo knead Lhe
dough unLll all of Lhe loose flour
has become absorbed. lf you
have an egg avallable you can
add lL along wlLh Lhe dough and
lL wlll make Lhe noodles flrmer.

'$()$*)+,- .+( /$%),0 1++234-

1. ull off a handful of dough
2. Squeeze lL lnLo a long snake llke shape.
3. uslng your Lhumb and foreflnger, plnch a
Lhumb slzed plece of dough off of Lhe
end of Lhe snake.
1. ull off a handful of dough
2. 8oll flaL
3. lold Lhe dough llke an accordlon lnLo a slngle, long
log.
4. CuL Lhe log lnLo one lnch segmenLs
3. Llne up each of Lhe sLrlps you have [usL creaLed and
cuL agaln lnLo small squares
6. CoaL noodles ln loose flour
llaL, square noodles
13

8ound, Lhlck noodles
16

56(

reparlng kur requlres sllghLly dlfferenL dough.
1. Mlx a dash of baklng powder per large handful of
flour.
2. Slowly comblne flour wlLh waLer and knead Lhe dough
for several mlnuLes. AfLer kneadlng leL Lhe dough slL
for half an hour Lo an hour before cooklng. lf you
poke Lhe raw dough lL should gradually rlse afLer you
remove your flnger. lf lL does noL rlse you dld noL
lnclude enough baklng powder.
3. AfLer an hour, roll a small handful of dough flaL.
4. lace on a hoL frylng pan. Cook one slde unLll golden
brown and Lhen fllp. When cooklng Lhe dough wlll flll
wlLh alr and expand, as plcLured.
?ou can serve kur wlLh eggs, or buLLer and a crushed
chlll sauce, or wlLh [am lf lL ls avallable. kur can also
be palred wlLh a poLaLo soup and eaLen for dlnner.
17

oLaLo Soup
2. lry a handful of onlon, a
large scoop of crushed
glnger, and a plnch of
fenugreek seed.
3. Add poLaLoes and squash
4. Add a small handful of
crushed chllles and salL.
3. Add Lhe deslred amounL
of waLer for soup.
18

LefL: reparlng kur on a hoL skllleL.
8lghL: Ln[oylng kur wlLh a poLaLo
curry

(u. kot)
A flot, tblck bteoJ, kot ls o popolot 5betpo bteokfost.

74 8+98+

1. Comblne flour, a scoop of salL, a scoop of
sugar, and a heaplng Lablespoon of baklng
powder ln a large mlxlng bowl. uslng a
sllghLly larger scoop of sugar Lhan salL wlll
produce a beLLer LasLe.
2. Mlx dry lngredlenLs well.
3. Cradually add waLer and knead well for
several mlnuLes Lo produce sofL dough.
4. Cover and leL slL for half an hour Lo an hour.
When Lhe dough ls ready you should be
able Lo see where Lhe sugar granules have
dlssolved lnLo Lhe dough.
3. knead Lhe dough agaln.
6. SeparaLe Lhe dough lnLo Lwo halves so lL ls
easler Lo work wlLh. 8oll one half flaL. 1he
dough should be Lhlck enough LhaL you can
plck lL up wlLhouL lL rlpplng.
7. Spread a llghL layer of cooklng oll over Lhe
enLlre surface area of Lhe dough.
8. use your hands Lo roll Lhe flaL dough lnLo a
slngle log.
9. Sllce Lhe log lnLo Lwo lnch segmenLs.
10. lold Lhe Le mo-mo (see lnsLrucLlons on
opposlLe page)
11. lace Lhe bread ln a sLeamer and sLeam
unLll fully cooked, abouL flve mlnuLes.
12. Serve wlLh curry.
20

oLaLo and Creen 8ean Curry
1. PeaL oll ln a pan. lry a large plnch of fenugreek seed.
2. Comblne an equal amounL of peeled, sllced poLaLoes and chopped green
beans, a dash of Lurmerlc powder and a plnch of salL. Cover and fry for
several mlnuLes.
3. Add waLer, noL enough Lo cover Lhe vegeLables.
4. lry unLll mosL of Lhe waLer cooks ouL
3. SalL Lo LasLe.
19

Aootbet Jooqb votlotloo, te mo-mos ote o floffy, steomeJ bteoJ.
(u. gop gop)

:+; *+ <+32 74 /+9/+
1. lck up one of Lhe Lwo lnch
segmenLs of dough
2. uslng boLh hands, plnch ln Lhe
cenLer of Lhe dough so LhaL boLh
open ends are faclng up. As you
plnch, pull Lhe dough so LhaL lL
becomes sllghLly wlder. (See above)
3. uslng your Lhumb and
foreflnger of boLh hands,
plnch Lhe lnner mosL layer
of each of Lhe open ends.

3. ull your flngers around Lhe
ouLslde of Lhe dough,
brlnglng Lhe plnched porLlon
ln your flngers underneaLh
Lhe Le mo-mo.
21

AnoLher Sherpa defense agalnsL Lhe cold
weaLher ls Lhe consumpLlon of alcohol. ln
Lhe evenlng before dlnner, adulLs Lyplcally
have aL leasL one cup of raksl (u.
, local llquor, or Lhongba (u. Lo b ),
mllleL beer, dependlng on whaL ls avallable.
AlLhough ofLen referred Lo as a wlne, raksl ls
graln llquor LhaL can be made from elLher
rlce or mllleL and lL ls heaLed on Lhe sLove
before consumpLlon. 8lce raksl Lends Lo have
a smooLher LasLe, whlle mllleL raksl has a
sLronger LasLe. 1hongba ls fermenLed mllleL
whlch ls LradlLlonally placed ln a bamboo
conLalner buL ln modern Llmes lL ls more
ofLen served ln a plasLlc cup, and hoL waLer
ls poured over Lhe mllleL. 1he hoL waLer can
be refllled several Llmes as Sherpas slp and
savor Lhe warmLh.
Pavlng large amounLs of alcohol ln any glven vlllage means LhaL season's harvesL was
bounLlful and Lhere was a surplus Lo fermenL raLher Lhan dlrecLly consume. 8ecause of
alcohol's warmlng quallLles, lL has earned nlcknames ln Sherpa culLure such as a down [ackeL"
and a gorLex llnlng".
23

*#+),
The Invention of Beer
The tale is told [] that when
the great guru Rinpoche
invented beer, he included
among the many wonderful
ingredients owlss eye and
tigers heart. When people
get drunk, some get sleepy,
while others get belligerent.
The former lean toward the
owls eye side, while the
latter lean toward the tigers
heart side.
22

(u. 8aksl)

=(+&- ), "+36%#68>6
1he sLaple crops ln Solukhumbu are poLaLoes,
wheaL, barley, and corn. ln addlLlon, beans,
peas, radlshes, carroLs, squash, greens, garllc,
onlons, and chllles are grown as supplemenLal
crops. larmers ofLen grow several dlfferenL
sLrands of Lhe same crop, each dlfferlng ln
slze, color, and LasLe. ln general, Lhe crops
grown ln Solukhumbu are one hundred
percenL organlc, ferLlllzed wlLh cow dung. 8uL
ln some cases farmers use a mlxLure of dung
and ferLlllzer. 1yplcally dung ls only used lf Lhe
famer does noL Lhe cows Lo produce enough
dung for Lhelr flelds. ln whlch case, Lhe
governmenL of nepal purchases ferLlllzer from
lndla and pays for lL Lo be LransporLed Lo
Solukhumbu Lhrough a Lender sysLem.
24
1hls
chemlcal ferLlllzer ls Lhen made avallable Lo
farmers, buL Lhe general bellef ls LhaL whlle
chemlcally ferLlllzed crops produce a larger,
fasLer maLurlng ouLpuL, organlcally grown
crops have a superlor LasLe. vegeLables ln
parLlcular are always grown organlcally.

Cver Lhe pasL flve years, Lhe problem of
food lnsecurlLy ln Solukhumbu has been
exacerbaLed by global warmlng. 1he 2011
lood SecurlLy 8ulleLln produced by Lhe
World lood rogram declared Solukhumbu
as moderaLely lnsecure".
23
Sherpa famllles
who have been farmlng Lhe same land for
generaLlons and have learned how Lo
lnLerpreL Lhe weaLher for Lhe opLlmal Llme
Lo planL and harvesL crops have been
bewlldered by changlng weaLher paLLerns. ln
parLlcular global warmlng has shlfLed Lhe
onseL and reLreaL of monsoon season as well
as Lhe number and frequency of exLreme
preclplLaLlon evenLs. 1hls has Lhe addlLlonal
effecL ln LhaL lL changes Lhe amounL of waLer
able Lo be Laken ln by Lhe soll. ln Lhe wlnLer
of 2008/2009 one of Lhe mosL severe
droughLs ln nepal's hlsLory desLroyed crops
and decreased naLlonal wheaL and barley
producLlon by 14.3 and 17.3 percenL
respecLlvely.
26

lottoJoctloo of tbe lototo.
1he oLaLo ls Lhe maln sLaple of Lhe Sherpa dleL.
Many Sherpas lnslsL LhaL Lhe poLaLo has always
been grown ln Lhe reglon and was eaLen by all of
Lhelr ancesLors, buL ln facL Lhe poLaLo ls a
relaLlvely recenL lnLroducLlon. 1here are no offlclal
records of Lhe lnLroducLlon of Lhe poLaLo buL flrsL
hand accounLs and Lravel [ournals place lLs
lnLroducLlon around Lhe mlddle of Lhe 19
Lh

cenLury and accredlL lLs arrlval Lo elLher Luropean
gardens ln uar[eellng or a 8rlLlsh garden ln
kaLhmandu.
27

oLaLo crops allowed for Lhere Lo be a surplus of
food for Lhe flrsL Llme so Sherpas could afford Lo
spend Llme dolng acLlvlLes oLher Lhan farmlng.
1he lnLroducLlon of Lhe poLaLo corresponds wlLh
large lncreases ln arL and rellglon by Lhe Sherpa
people.
28

The Potato
(u. rl)

1he followlng reclpe ls for rlldhuk wlLh a LomaLo broLh.

1o Cook:
1omaLo 8roLh:
1. PeaL oll ln a poL.
2. lry onlon unLll sllghLly brown
3. Add crushed garllc and LomaLo and chlll
4. Add Lhe deslred amounL of waLer Lo make your soup
3. 8rlng Lo a boll
oLaLo dough
1. 8oll oLaLoes. eel whlle hoL. Spread on a bamboo baskeL and leL
cool.
2. When cool, place Lhe poLaLoes ln a __ and beaL for several mlnuLes
unLll Lhe dough becomes sLlcky and Lhere are almosL no lumps or only
very small lumps. uo noL Lry Lo beaL whlle Lhe poLaLoes are hoL.
3. ulp your hand ln waLer and scoop Lhe enLlre dough ouL of Lhe __ and
place lL on a plaLe. lcklng up a handful of dough aL a Llme, squeeze
small lumps of poLaLo lnLo Lhe broLh by, plnchlng beLween your
Lhumb and foreflnger.
4. Sprlnkle wlLh a handful of chopped corlander.
3. Allow Lhe soup Lo slmmer on low heaL for several mlnuLes.
29

?)32#6%
A mosbeJ pototo soop, tllJbok ls ofteo eoteo lo tbe sommet tlme becoose lt ls
llqbt ooJ Joes oot bove tbe wotmloq poolltles of beottlet 5betpo stews.

8eat|ng the potatoes |nto a dough.
(u. 8lldok)

Corn ls a maln sLaple of Sherpa food buL lL can only be grown aL alLlLudes
below 10,000fL. uzemu, a vlllage ln Solu, ls Lhe hlghesL vlllage where corn can
be grown and [usL Lwo mlles norLh ln Lhe Lwo of hungmo, corn cannoL
grow.
30

LefL: 1hls corn ls belng drled ln Lhe sun. When lL ls compleLely dry lL wlll be
beaLen agalnsL Lhe ground Lo remove Lhe kernels so LhaL Lhe drled kernels
can be Laken Lo Lhe mlll and ground. Cnce Lhe corn ls a powder lL can be
made Lo make Sherpa dlshes such as kakslr (see followlng page).

-&./
012 3,4 5

6#+),.
A tblck poste moJe ftom qtoooJ coto wblcb coo be eoteo wltb cotty ooJ/ot soop.

Ingred|ents
llnely ground corn, Cnlon, Cumln seed, oLaLo
Creens, 1umerec owder, SalL
1o Cook:
1. 8oll ground corn uslng approxlmaLely Lwlce as much waLer as
corn. AfLer abouL Len mlnuLes Lhe pasLe wlll begln Lo Lhlcken.
SLlr frequenLly, and conLlnue Lo boll unLll Lhere ls no waLer lefL.
1he corn should form a very Lhlck LexLured, gralny pasLe whlch
easlly sLlcks Lo lLself.
otato Soup
2. lry onlon and a plnch of cumln seeds unLll llghLly brown.
3. Add poLaLoes, salL, and Lurmerlc powder. SLlr frequenLly
4. When poLaLoes are half cooked, add Lhe deslred amounL of
waLer for soup.
3. Add greens.
6. SalL Lo LasLe
?ou eaL kakslr ln Lhe same manner LhaL you would syan, by uslng Lhe
pasLe as a spoon for Lhe soup. lor deLalls see page 40.
(u. k kslr)

lor Sherpas, Lhe mllk from a cow, or zhum, ls hlghly advanLageous because of lLs ablllLy Lo be used for many dlfferenL
purposes.
When a cow ls mllked, a sLralner made from leaves ls placed on Lop of Lhe buckeL caLchlng Lhe mllk. 1he Lhln mllk wlll drlp
Lhrough Lhe sLralner buL any Lhlck cream wlll be caughL. 1he Lhlck subsLance caughL ln Lhe sLralner ls known as Shosheem
(u. Syoslm), and once any excess cow halr has been removed lL can be used ln soups and sauces. Sherpas wlll Lhen boll Lhe
mllk ln Lhe buckeL Lo pasLeurlze lL. 1hls mllk can be drunk lmmedlaLly, or more commonly, a porLlon can be used Lo make
curd. AfLer bolllng, Lhe cream on Lhe Lop of Lhe mllk ls saved and collecLed ln a separaLe poL. Cnce Lhe collecLlon has
become large enough, Lhe cream can be beaLen Lo creaLe buLLer. 1he buLLermllk remalnlng afLer churnlng ls collecLed and
saved and lL can be drank sLralghL or used ln cooklng meals such as Lsampa porrldge. lf Lhe buLLermllk ls bolled lL wlll make a
whlLe pasLe known as sercum (u.Serkam), whlch ls also used ln soups and sauces. And lf sercum ls sLored ln a dark place ln a
plasLlc conLalner for Lwo Lo Lhree monLhs lL wlll creaLe somar (u. Somar), whlch ls used for Lhe same purposes buL has a
yellow color and a sLrong odor. Many Sherpas do noL llke somar because of lLs odor. And flnally, lf Lhe orlglnal buLLer ls
bolled, creaLlng a olly llquld, and Lhen sLored ln a dark place lL wlll creaLe ghee, whlch ls deslreable because lL can be used
for all of Lhe same purposes as buLLer buL lL can be preserved and used for a longer perlod of Llme.
The Life of Milk

looJ fot tbe cow

A m|xture or rotten vegetab|es, potato pee|s, k|tchen scraps, f|our and
water wh|ch w||| be fed to the cow.
8ecause Sherpa klLchens do noL conLaln
refrlgeraLors, sLorlng lefLovers can be problemaLlc.
ln Lhe wlnLerLlme, Lhe house ls cold enough LhaL
food can be sLored for a day or Lwo afLer belng
cooked. And ln many cases lefLovers from dlnner,
especlally Le-mo mo and any soups or sLews, are
eaLen for breakfasL Lhe followlng mornlng. 8uL
afLer LhaL polnL, or anyLlme ln Lhe summer,
lefLovers are glven Lo Lhe llvesLock. ln addlLlon any
cooklng scraps such as poLaLo peels or roLLen
cabbage ls fed Lo Lhe anlmals as well.

11he tree that a|rmong grows on, eas||y
recogn|zab|e because of |ts |arge thorns.
A|rmong after |t has been co||ected from the
tree
known by many dlfferenL names, Lhe Sherpas refer
Lo Lhls mounLaln pepper" as alrmong (u. y . lL
ls a specles of Slchuan pepper LhaL ls wldely grown
across Asla and speclflcally valued by Lhe Sherpa
people because lL ls one of Lhe few splces able Lo be
grown ln Solukhumbu. uesplLe belng labeled a
pepper, lL does noL have Lhe hoL or splcy LasLe of
assoclaLed wlLh sLandard black or whlLe pepper.
lnsLead lL has a unlque LasLe wlLh sllghL lemon
overLones and lL produces a Llngllng, numb feellng ln
Lhe mouLh.
31

AlLhough lL ls frequenLly consumed, alrmong ls
never added dlrecLly lnLo a cooklng poL because Lhe
LasLe ls so unlque LhaL many people do noL prefer lL.
1yplcally, Sherpas wlll offer alrmong on a small
servlng dlsh so LhaL only Lhose who wlsh Lo may add
lL Lo Lhelr meals.

cookloq lo o 5betpo kltcbeo,

klLchens ln khumbu feaLure sLoves made of meLal wlre frames. 8uL ln Solu, sLoves
are LradlLlonally made from a whlLe mud whlch can be collecLed locally. SLoves are
bullL lndlvldually by a member of Lhe household or by a frlend who ls parLlcularly
good aL Lhe crafL. 1hls provldes for some level of dlverslLy. 1he complexlLy of Lhe
sLove can vary from a slmple square ln less elaboraLe klLchens, Lo a larger unlL wlLh
Lwo burners ln more well off homes. As lL ls used, Lhe mud on Lhe sLove wlll Lurn
black from smoke and a new layer of mud wlll need Lo be applled ln order Lo clean
Lhe sLove repalr any mlnor cracks or chlpped areas.
ln a Sherpa home, Lhe hearLh ls Lyplcally Lhe only source of heaL, so durlng Lhe
wlnLer season Lhe klLchen becomes an lnner space where famlly members gaLher
Lo sLay warm. CuL of respecL, Lhe seaL closesL Lo Lhe hearLh ls reserved for Lhe male
head of Lhe household. And even lf he passes away lL ls approprlaLe Lo honor hls
memory by leavlng LhaL seaL open.
46

ln addlLlon, alLhough lL ls accepLable for boLh men and women Lo cook ln Sherpa
culLure, Lhe male ls Lhe head of Lhe household ls always served flrsL durlng
mealLlme. 1he only excepLlon ls a guesL of hlgh lmporLance who may be served
before Lhe male house owner. ln whlch cases guesLs and males wlll eaL flrsL
LogeLher and afLer Lhey have been served seconds, females and chlldren wlll eaL.

App|y|ng a fresh coat of mud to c|ean the stove
A stove |n a Sherpa k|tchen made of wh|te mud

cookloq ot nlqb AltltoJes
1he ressure Cooker
uurlng Lhe MaolsL lnsurgency, Lhe sale and LransporL of pressure
cookers was banned ln nepal because MaolsLs frequenLly uLlllzed
Lhem as bombs by packlng Lhelr lnsldes wlLh exploslves and
Llmers.
1hese lmprovlsed exploslve devlces ranged ln level of
sophlsLlcaLlon. ln lebruary 2002 Lwo pressure cookers were used
Lo bomb Lukla AlrporL ln Solukhumbu. 1he resulL was damage Lo
several wlndows and Lhe desLrucLlon of Lhe alrporL's roof.
32

1he ban on pressure cookers meanL LhaL Sherpas and oLher hlgh
alLlLude dwelllng famllles could no longer qulckly prepare food
and ln many cases food was consumed half cooked.
8ecause Lhe alr ls Lhlnner aL hlgher alLlLudes, waLer bolls aL a
lower LemperaLure. 1hls means LhaL food ls conslsLenLly belng
prepared on lower heaL so lL wlll Lake slgnlflcanLly longer Lo fully
cook. (See Appendlx C for charL of bolllng polnLs aL hlgh
alLlLudes.)
A pressure cooker counLeracLs Lhls phenomenon by ralslng Lhe
pressure so LhaL waLer bolls aL a hlgher LemperaLure. ressure
cookers are used ln almosL all Sherpa klLchens aL hlgh alLlLudes.
1hey allow famllles Lo prepare meals qulcker and eaL a larger
percenLage of fully cooked meals.

1be locol Motket
1he food prepared ln Sherpa homes ls mosLly grown ln Lhelr own flelds and vegeLable gardens, or
Lhe flelds of Lhelr nelghbors, buL local markeLs allow Sherpas Lo have access Lo a larger varleLy of
food.
Lach SaLurday, weekly local markeLs occur LhroughouL Solukhumbu, Lhe mosL predomlnanL of
whlch are ln namache 8azaar, Lhe cenLer of Lrade ln Solukhumbu and Sallerle, Lhe dlsLrlcL
headquarLers of Solukhumbu, locaLed ln Solu. uependlng on Lhe locaLlon of Lhelr vlllage Sherpas
may have Lo walk several mlnuLes, several hours, or even several days Lo geL Lo Lhe nearesL
markeL.
1he markeL ls an exhllaraLlng evenL
whlch sLarLs brlghL and early. 1he sale
of vegeLables, Lhe early mornlng
prlorlLy, beglns even before Lhe oLher
vendors have had a chance Lo seL ouL Lhelr goods. As locals browse Lo selecL Lhe
freshesL, mosL deslrable vegeLables,
Lhe resL of Lhe markeL unfolds around
Lhem. And soon enough Lhe markeL ls
ln full swlng wlLh rows upon rows of fresh producLs and swarms of people navlgaLlng
Lhelr way Lhrough Lhe narrow paLhways.
1he markeL ls as much a soclal evenL as lL ls an opporLunlLy Lo buy goods. lrlends from
dlfferenL vlllages greeL each oLher and numerous smlles and soclal graces are
exchanged. AlLhough a falr amounL of haggllng and quallLy assessmenL occurs, Lhe
A se||er we|ghs auberg|ne on a trad|t|ona| sca|e.
Sa||er|e Market, Ia|| 2011
A |oca| woman hop|ng to se|| her produce. Sa||er|a Market
Ia|| 2011
markeL ls by no means compeLlLlve. 1here ls no pressure Lo flghL" oLher cusLomers for Lhe goods needed and Sherpas Lyplcally sLop several Llmes
durlng Lhelr shopplng for Lea or a qulck breakfasL wlLh frlends.
orLerlng lood Lo Plgher AlLlLudes

1here are no roads ln Solu khumbu so any food or supplles musL be porLed by elLher
men or llvesLock. lood and supplles are drlven ln Lrucks Lo Lhe hlghesL vlllage posslble,
Lyplcally !lrl and Lhen porLered Lo Lhe oLher vlllages of Solukhumbu.
WlLh Lhe supporL of Lhe Plmalayan 1rusL, a road has recenLly been bullL whlch
connecLs Sallerle Lo kaLarl a vlllage ln Lhe udayapur ulsLrlcL and makes lmporLlng food
from Lhe 1eral much cheaper and qulcker.
33

1he donkey on Lhe lefL carrles Lwo sacks of rlce on hls back whlle Lhe donkey on Lhe
rlghL carrles Lwo [ugs of kerosene. 1he men on Lhe rlghL are carrylng packaged goods
such as lmporLed Lhukpa and premade noodles.

uol 8bot

1o Cook:
1. uL lenLlls ln a bowl, cover wlLh waLer and leL soak. AfLer several mlnuLes, dump
Lhe waLer and add clean waLer. 8epeaL
once more.
2. Comblne lenLlls, a Leaspoon a mlnced
glnger, a large plnch of salL, and waLer
ln a pressure cooker. Cook unLll
pressure cooker has sLeamed Lhree
Llmes, Lhen remove from heaL and sLlr
genLly. Allow Lo slL unLll beans have
doubled ln slze, lf necessary puL Lhe
pressure cooker over low heaL.
3. ln a small pan, fry chopped onlon,
cumln seed, mlnced garllc, glnger, and
chlll, and corlander ln buLLer. Cnce llghLly frled lmmedlaLely pour lnLo Lhe lenLlls.
4. SLlr, cover and leL slL for several mlnuLes so LhaL Lhe flavors can develop.
5teomeJ tlce setveJ wltb o leotll soop, Jol bbot ls o ttoJltloool Nepoll Jlsb
tbot bos become loteqtoteJ loto 5betpo colsloe Joe to tbe ovolloblllty of
tlce lo 5olokbombo. lt ls commooly eoteo fot bteokfost ooJ/ot Jlooet. 1bete
ote mooy Jlffeteot types of leotlls bot 5betpo typlcolly ooly coosome tbe
block ooJ teJ votletles. 8lock leotlls ote oototloos fot beloq tostlet bot teJ
leotlls cook fostet. lo oJJltloo, leotlls possess o lotqe poootlty of ptotelo so
tbey ote oo excelleot oJJltloo to o mostly veqetotloo Jlet.

Pow Lo LaL WlLh ?our Pands
Sherpas and nepall's ln general wlll lnslsL LhaL Lhe
LasLe of dhal ls enhanced by eaLlng wlLh your hands.
lL ls a sklll whlch lf execuLed correcLed ls effecLlve,
clean, and dellclous.
llrsL ,wash your hands. Many Sherpa resLauranLs
and lodges wlll provlde a small slnk for Lhls
purpose or lf noL Lhey are happy Lo leL you use
Lhelr klLchen slnk.
use only your rlghL hand Lo eaL
uslng your flngers, push Lhe rlce LogeLher on Lhe
plaLe so LhaL lL becomes compacL and sLlcks Lo
lLself.
use your Lhumb Lo shelp you scoop up a blLe slze
amounL of rlce onLo your oLher four flngers.
8rlng your hand Lo your mouLh and use your
Lhumb Lo push Lhe food lnLo your mouLh. ?ou
can also llghLly lnhale as you do Lhls.
1ry Lo avold geLLlng food on your palm and
remember noL Lo pass or recelve anyLhlng wlLh
your rlghL hand once you have begun eaLlng
Wash your hands when you are flnlshed.
3. Serve Lhe rlce on a plaLe and Lhe lenLll soup ln a separaLe bowl. Creens and a poLaLo curry can be served wlLh Lhe rlce as well.
5ceoes ftom tbe 5ototJoy Motket lo 5olletle, loll 2011
8ananas, carroLs, caullflower, LomaLoes, korela, and green onlon.

llsh, whlLe beans, sLlnglng
neLLles, and kldney beans

8oyloq Meot ot tbe Motket
ork, buffalo meaL, and chlcken are avallable aL Lhe markeL however, chlcken ls rarely
purchased because of how expenslve lL ls. Cne kllogram of chlcken can cosL 1,200 Lo
1,300 8S.
34

8ecause of Lhelr 8uddhlsL bellefs, Lhe Sherpas do noL slaughLer anlmals Lo produce meaL.
Powever Lhey are noL adverse Lo eaLlng meaL lf someone else has already slaughLered lL
or Lhe anlmal has dled of naLural causes. 1herefore, lf Lhey can afford lL, Sherpas ofLen
purchase meaL aL local markeLs and elLher eaL lL fresh or hang lL Lo dry Lo save for a laLer
daLe. 8uLchers, however, are hlghly dlscrlmlnaLed agalnsL and consldered of a lower
casLe. Slmllarly mllls are consldered dlrLy and only low casLe people operaLe mllls.
33

Meat hang|ng above a stove to dry. 1he darker meat hang|ng
on the r|ght has been dry|ng for a day |onger than the fresher
meat on the |eft
ork for sa|e at the Saturday Market |n Sa||er|e

4. Pow Sherpas Larn a Llvlng
1toJltlooolly, 5betpos moJe o llvloq
wotkloq lo oqtlcoltote, oolmol bosbooJty
ooJ ttoJe. 1oJoy tbe some occopotloos stlll
exlst bot mooy 5betpos bove olso become
lovolveJ lo tbe tootlst loJostty, setvlcloq
tbe mooy tootlsts wbo come to vlslt tbe
moootolos by octloq os pottets, qolJes, ooJ
opeoloq teo booses ooJ loJqes.
A man uses a hoe to break up the ground and move
so|| |n preparat|on for p|ant|ng. 1h|s method |s typ|ca||y
necessary for root crops such as the potato because
the p|ow does not turn the ground deep enough.
1he Average LaLlng Schedule of a larmer
Larly mornlng rlse, several cups of
1lbeLan 1ea
9:00am Large helplng of syan
2:00pm 8olled poLaLoes and chlll ln Lhe
flelds whlle Laklng a shorL break.
7:00pm ulnner of Shakpa, 1hukpa, or
halghl.

lotmloq
AgrlculLural Calendar of
Solukhumbu
May-!une-!uly: lanL corn
and vegeLables and
buckwheaL. ParvesL barley
and wheaL. Laborlously
break up soll around base
of poLaLo planLs
Lnd of Summer: CaLher
oLaLoes
Aug-uec ParvesL garden
vegeLables and corn
SepL-CcL: lanL wheaL
and barley
uec-!an lanL poLaLoes
38

|ough|ng the f|e|ds us|ng a p|ough made of wood w|th
an |ron t|p, pu||ed by two oxes. Up unt|| the ear|y 20th
Century, p|oughs were pu||ed by teams of three or
four men.
36

A woman fo||ow|ng beh|nd the p|ough and
spread|ng bar|ey seeds. 1he [ob of the
sower |s trad|t|ona||y done by a woman.
37

Syan
A tblck poste of wbeot ooJ wotet wblcb coo be polteJ wltb o votlety of pototo soops, ls tbe meol of cbolce fot fotmets wbo lobot lo tbe flelJs
oll Joy ooJ oeeJ o flllloq meol to ptovlJe tbem wltb eoetqy fot tbelt wotk.

Ingred|ents:
8oasLed ground wheaL flour,
WaLer,
oLaLoes, CarroLs,
Clnger
1urmerlc owder,
SalL,
8uLLer
Syan:
1. ln a wok, brlng waLer Lo a boll. LsLlmaLe abouL Lwo cups per person.
2. When Lhe waLer ls bolllng, add wheaL and allow Lo boll for a mlnuLe. ?ou wanL Lo add enough wheaL LhaL lL ls absorbed lnLo Lhe waLer noL
slLLlng ln a dry heap on Lop of Lhe waLer.
3. 8egln mlxlng wlLh a wooden spoon. 1hls may be a laborlously acLlvlLy buL use Lhe spoon Lo conLlnuously fold Lhe pasLe. Slowly add more
wheaL unLll you achleve Lhe deslred conslsLency. ?ou would llke Lhe syan Lo be a solld, smooLh pasLe LhaL ls sofLer Lhan a dough and noL
sLlcky.
4. ConLlnue Lo fold for abouL a mlnuLe afLer you have achleved Lhe deslred conslsLency.
otato Soup:
1. PeaL oll ln a small wok or pan.
2. Add shredded poLaLoes and enough Lurmerlc powder Lo glve Lhe poLaLoes a nlce color. lry for 1-2 mlnuLes sLlrrlng frequenLly.
3. Add carroLs, crushed glnger, and salL. SLlr well.
4. Add Lhe amounL of hoL waLer you deslre Lo make a soup over Lhe vegeLables.

1be 8teokfost of o lotmet
(u. sy n)

now to 5etve ooJ ot 5yoo
1o Serve:
lloce two scoops of seo oo o plote. use yoot floqets to cteote o bole lo tbe top of tbe
moooJ ooJ losett o scoop of bottet ot qbee.
lo occotJooce wltb tbe 5betpo ttoJltloo colleJ Neobo, two scoops of ooy fooJ ote
olwoys ploceJ oo top of eocb otbet o plote befote setvloq. veo lf o petsoo tepoests
o smoll pottloo, tbey wlll stlll tecelve two smoll scoops.

1o LaL:
use your rlghL hand Lo break a plece
of Lhe dough off of Lhe boLLom on
Lhe mound. ulp lL lnLo Lhe buLLer and
squeeze ln Lhe palm of your hand Lo
form a ball.

uslng your Lhumb creaLe an
lndenL ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe ball.
use Lhe syan as a scoop Lo dlp
lnLo Lhe soup and eaL!
1o LaL:

A lotmets loocb

Ingred|ents
oLaLoes
Chllles
Carllc
SalL

1o Cook:
1. 8oll oLaLoes
2. Crush LogeLher chllles, garllc, and salL.
SeL Lhe unpeeled poLaLoes ouL on a plaLe Lo cool.
When cool enough Lo hold ln your hand, leL people
gaLher around, peel Lhelr own poLaLoes, and dlp Lhem
ln Lhe dellclous chlll sauce.
8olled oLaLoes and Chllll
1he poLaLo ln one of lLs puresL forms, Lhls ls one of Lhe
slmplesL and LasLlesL Sherpa reclpes.

Loca| men gather around a |arge pot of potatoes as they
take a break for |unch, Iunbes|
Many Sherpas, who can afford Lo, pay oLhers Lo work ln
Lhelr flelds. 1he average raLe of pay ls 130 8s per day plus a
generous amounL of 1lbeLan Lea and chaang, especlally
durlng Lhe wlnLer Llme when Lhe exLreme cold makes
worklng more dlfflculL. 1he laborers can also recelve
breakfasL aL Lhe fleld owner's house before work buL Lhe
cosL of Lhls ls Lyplcally subLracLed from Lhelr pay.
39

A lotmets ulooet
1he corn needed Lo make phalghl ls collecLed durlng harvesL season ln early
AugusL and Lhen drled and sLored unLll Lhe wlnLer weaLher seLs ln. 1he corn ls
plcked sllghLly before lL ls rlpe. lL ls Lhen bolled and Lhe kernels are plcked off,
peeled, and seL ouL ln Lhe sun on a bamboo baskeL Lo dry for Lwo Lo Lhree days.
1he hard sundrled kernels are Lhen sLored ln a dark place unLll wlnLer.
lngredlenLs:
Corn, WhlLe 8eans, dry or fresh meaL lf avallable, Cnlon, Carllc, 8adlsh, CarroL, oLaLoes, SalL
1o Cook:
1. 8egln by soaklng Lhe corn and beans ln separaLe poLs of waLer overnlghL. 1hls wlll allow Lhe hard kernels Lo become sofL agaln and cook
fasLer.
2. 8oll Lhe corn and beans ln separaLe poLs. lf you prefer Lo use pressure cookers, only use one for Lhe beans. A pressure cooker wlll Lurn
Lhe corn lnLo a mushy dhal llke conslsLency. Allow Lhe corn Lo slmmer ln a large poL on low heaL for 2-3 hours and Lhen add Lhe beans Lo
Lhe corn.
3. lf you are uslng dry meaL, cuL lnLo cubes and add Lo Lhe corn. lf you are uslng fresh meaL, walL Lo fry lL wlLh Lhe vegeLables.
4. ln a separaLe pan, heaL oll and fry onlon and garllc.
3. Add rashes, salL, and Lurmerlc powder. Allow Lo fry for several mlnuLes, sLlrrlng frequenLly.
6. Add poLaLoes and carroLs. SLlr well. Cover.
7. 8efore Lhe poLaLoes are fully cooked, add Lhe vegeLable mlxLure Lo Lhe large poL of corn and beans. Slmmer slowly over low heaL unLll
Lhe poLaLoes are fully cooked.
8. SalL Lo LasLe.

halghl
A tblck, beotty stew of coto ooJ beoos, pbolqbl ls
oootbet 5betpo meol tesetveJ ooly fot tbe wlotet tlme.

Left: 1he sun dr|ed corn kerna|s necessary to
make ha|gh|. 8e|ow: A steam|ng bow| of
ha|gh|

Aolmol nosbooJty
PlsLorlcally, anlmal husbandry has been Lhe mosL proflLable occupaLlon for
Sherpas. 1hey ralse yak (male), nak (female yak), cow (female) and zhum
(female) and zopklo (male) whlch are Lhe producL of a bull (male cow) and a nak
(female yak). 1he male anlmals, yak and zopklo, are used for porLerlng goods
speclflcally for Lhe salL and wool Lrade wlLh 1lbeL, whlle Lhe females, nak, cow,
and zhum, are kepL for mllk. Sherpas graze Lhelr caLLle aL hlgh alLlLude pasLures
(yar sa) ln Lhe summer and move down Lo lower pasLures (gun sa) ln Lhe wlnLer.
40

1he zhum, plcLured Lo Lhe rlghL, ls Lhe mosL deslrable and Lhe mosL proflLable
because lL produces Lhe more mllk Lhan Lhe nak. And Lhe zopklo ls deslred
because lL ls a more conLrollable pack anlmal Lhan Lhe yak.
41

?" @8/
8ecause of Lhe lack of denLal care and resulLlng poor
LeeLh, speclal food adapLaLlons need Lo be made for Lhe
elderly as well as for young chlldren whose LeeLh have
noL developed yeL. lor boLh groups, sofL, mushy foods
are preferred. Some Lyplcal favorlLes lnclude Lsampa
porrldge, rlce bolled ln hoL mllk, and homl yarl.
kec|pe for nom| ar|

1. Make a dough of wheaL flour and waLer.
2. 8oll mllk
3. CreaLe small round or square noodles(see page
13) and add Lo Lhe mllk.
4. Add salL
3. ConLlnue Lo boll unLll Lhe noodles are cooked and
Lhe mllk Lhlckens.
42

(u. hom yar )

8oby Nomloq cetemooy
When a baby ls born ln a Sherpa vlllage, a
speclal ceremony ls held Lo name Lhe chlld.
arenLs choose a name and Lhen lnvlLe a lama
lnLo Lhelr home on Lhe day of Lhe ceremony.
1he parenLs presenL Lhe baby wlLh whlLe
scarves (kaLah) for Lhe well belng of Lhe body,
speech, and mlnd. 1hen Lhe chlld ls marked
on Lhe forehead wlLh buLLer and fed a small
amounL of elLher honey of buLLer as a slgn of
Lhelr flrsL food. 1he lama wlll Lhen call Lhe
chlld's newly glven name Lhree Llmes, and on
Lhe Lhlrd call Lhe moLher wlll respond for her
lnfanL. llnally, prayers are sald ln honor of
Lhe baby and Lhe parenLs lnvlLe frlends and
famlly Lo a parLy ln Lhelr home.
43

AJoptotloos fot tbe lJetly
Aslde from [usL eaLlng sofL foods, Lhe elderly
populaLlon also apply speclal modlflcaLlons Lo
make chewlng easler. When maklng Lhukpa, Lhls
elderly nun prefers Lo smush Lhe noodles so LhaL
Lhey are Lhlnner and easler Lo chew Lhan Lhlck
doughy noodles. 1o do Lhls she makes a dough
and Lhen presses each ball of dough agalnsL her
palm Lo flaLLen lL.
44

A" B62% :6/&;23 C2D)/
Shey-Shey (u. Sye Sye)
Sherpas place a hlgh lmporLance on hosplLallLy. Any guesL, lnvlLed or unlnvlLed, ls welcomed lnLo Lhelr home wlLh a cup of Lea,
and a hosLs [ob ls Lo conLlnuously reflll Lhls cup. PosLs wlll presenL food and drlnk by saylng Shey-Shey", llLerally meanlng
please Lake" And lL ls ofLen Lhe guesL's responslblllLy Lo make a show of pollLely refuslng, only Lo ulLlmaLely glve ln Lo Lhe hosLs
perslsLenL aLLempLs. ln some cases, guesLs wlll puL a hand over Lhelr cup or plaLe, or even remove lL from Lhe Lable, Lo prevenL
belng glven a second helplng. 1hls acLlon does noL deLer Lhe hosL who unrelenLlngly holds Lhe poL of Lea or servlng spoon wlLh
a large helplng of food on lL ouL Lo Lhem lnslsLlng, Shey-Shey" unLll Lhe guesL reLurns Lhelr plaLe or glass Lo Lhe orlglnal place
on Lhe Lable and lL can be refllled. Such a show slgnlfles pollLeness on Lhe parL of boLh Lhe guesL and Lhe hosL and lL ls a
frequenL occurrence ln Sherpa socleLy. lf a guesL were Lo deflanLly refuse all offers of food and drlnk wlLhouL glvlng ln aL all,
Lhey run Lhe rlsk of offendlng Lhe hosL or ln Lhe very leasL maklng Lhem uncomforLable.
As Sherry CrLner suggesLs, Lhe exLenslve sysLem of hosplLallLy ln Sherpa CulLure ls lnLended Lo culLlvaLe communlLy
cooperaLlon and encourage nelghbors and frlends Lo help one anoLher because Lhey are lndebLed Lo each oLher.
43
ln Lhls way,
Sherpas wlll help one anoLher because Lhey feel soclally obllgaLed Lo do so.
Servlng Crder
AlLhough lL ls accepLable for boLh men and women Lo cook ln Sherpa culLure, Sherpas have a paLrlllneal sysLem where Lhe male
ls Lhe head of Lhe household and as such he ls always served flrsL durlng mealLlme. 1he only excepLlon ls a guesL of hlgh
lmporLance who may be served before Lhe male house owner. CuesLs and males wlll eaL flrsL and afLer Lhey have been served
seconds, females and chlldren wlll eaL.

1lbeLan 1ea
1lbetoo 1eo, olso koowo os bottet teo ot solt teo, ls block teo ptepoteJ wltb solt, mllk, ooJ
bottet. lt ls moJe lo o speclol teo cboto colleJ o Jooq mo. lf yoo Jo oot bove o Jooq mo oo
booJ, oo electtlc bleoJet wlll ptoJoce o slmllot tesolt, bowevet 5betpo loslst tbot o bleoJet
ptoJoces o lesset poollty toste.
Ingred|ents
1ea Leaves
PoL WaLer
Mllk
SalL
8uLLer
1sampa

1o repare:
repare a poL of black Lea by bolllng Lea leaves ln hoL waLer.
our Lhe black Lea lnLo a dong mo.
Add a heaplng Lablespoon of salL, a large lump of buLLer, a small amounL of powdered
or fresh mllk, and a scoop of Lsampa.
Churn, or blend, unLll fully mlxed.
our Lhe Lea lnLo a Lea keLLle or poL and allow Lo heaL on Lhe sLove for several mlnuLes
unLll hoL. When pourlng, you may need Lo mlx Lhe Lea around ln Lhe boLLom of Lhe
churn Lo make sure you geL all of Lhe Lsampa ouL.
When you serve 1lbeLan 1ea, genLly sLlr Lhe poL or keLLle before pourlng, oLherwlse all of
Lhe buLLer wlll seLLle aL Lhe Lop and pour lnLo Lhe flrsL glass.
47

Mak|ng 1|betan 1ea |n a dong mo
(u. Su cy

Mottloqe cetemooy
Many rlLuals ln Sherpa socleLy heavlly rely on Lhe glvlng and recelvlng of food. A perfecL example ls Lhe LradlLlonal marrlage ceremony. 1he Sherpa
word for clan, ru", llLerally means bone", lndlcaLlng LhaL Lhey are derlved from Lhe same bone
or have Lhe same faLher. 1herefore clan members are free Lo marry whomever Lhey wlsh
excepL for oLher members of Lhelr own clan, such a relaLlonshlp would be consldered
lncesLuous (lurer Sherpas Lransformed pg 29).
AlLhough love marrlages are becomlng more common, members of Lhe prevlous generaLlon
engaged ln arranged marrlages whlch enLalled elaboraLe rlLuals lnvolvlng plenLlful amounLs of
food and drlnk. 1he several sLages and sLeps of Lhe dlfferenL ceremonles are lmpreclse and Lhe
lengLh and Llmlng of each can be modlfled buL one unchangeable characLerlsLlc ls LhaL chaang ls
essenLlal ln each sLage (Wlndow).

Steps of a Marr|age:
1rlchang - 8epresenLaLlves from each famlly meeL Lo dlscuss Lhe compaLlblllLy of Lhe couple ln
quesLlon.

echang- a plannlng meeLlng beLween boLh famllles Lo arrange deLalls for Lhe publlc
engagemenL ceremony

Longchang- llLerally meanlng asklng drlnk, Lhe groom's famlly lnvlLes relaLlves Lo [oln Lhem ln a
weddlng processlon Lo Lhe brlde's house where Lhey presenL chaang Lo Lhe brldes lmmedlaLe
and exLended famlly who are walLlng Lo recelve Lhem.

uemchang- 1he groom's famlly gaLhers ln a processlon agaln Lo accompany hlm as he feLches
hls brlde. 1he groom and hls processlon are welcomed aL Lhe brlde's home wlLh food and
chaang. 1he groom and hls famlly are Lhen lnvlLed
lnLo Lhe homes of Lhe brlde's relaLlves where Lhey
A wooden ceremon|a| conta|ner used for serv|ng
a|coho|, ca||ed a do[um. It features a s|ender neck to
make |t eas|er to pour from and brass deta|| work.
recelve more food and drlnks and Lhe brlde recelves glfLs from each of her famlly members. A formal ceremony ls Lhen held where Lhe brlde and
groom are blessed by senlor members for long llfe, susLalnablllLy, and happlness". 1he brlde and groom wlll Lhen deparL and Lhe brlde's famlly
wlll offer kaLah and chaang as a farewell glfL.

karma Lowu-1he brlde's home vlslL. Several weeks or monLhs afLer Lhe marrlage Lhe brlde may reLurn home Lo vlslL her famlly and collecL any
belongs whlch were lefL behlnd. 1he brlde and groom wlll make Lhe vlslL LogeLher and brlng chaang as a glfL for Lhe brlde's famlly.
48

8eclpe for Chaang
locol tlce wloe
1. Cook rice
2. Spread on a large cloth or tray and allow to
cool
3. When the rice is room temperature, grind
yeast and spread it evenly over the rice
4. Put the rice in a plastic bucket and tightly
seal. Store in a cool place for the desired
period of time, depending on how strong you
would like the chaang to be. Two to three
months is ideal for a stronger chaang, but
one month is sufficient.
5. When you are ready to drink, open bucket
and remove the desired quantity. Mix with
cold water and strain well.

Chaang can also be used as a repaymenL for
wrongdolng. ln Sherpa culLure, a boLLle of beer ls
Lhe approprlaLe glfL Lo be offered from one male
Lo anoLher as an apology for sleeplng wlLh hls
wlfe.
49

E" F''( 2$( :6/&;2 G/D+8+')3 H/D+/93
lood ls an lnLegral componenL of Sherpa rellglous bellefs. Cenerally speaklng, Sherpas are followers of Lhe
nyngmapa school of 1lbeLan 8uddhlsm, anoLher legacy of Lhelr 1lbeLan herlLage, and Lhere are currenLly over Lwo
hundred and slxLy Lwo monasLerles ln Solukhumbu.
30
Sherpa 8uddhlsL pracLlLloners celebraLe Lhree ma[or holldays,
new ?ear (Losar), where Lhe gods are asked Lo renew Lhelr proLecLlon of Lhe vlllage, and uum[l and Manl 8lmdu,
whlch are boLh exorclsm where lamas re-enacL Lhe gods Lrlumph over Lhe demons Lhrough cosLumed and masked
dances. 1he maln dlsLlncLlon beLween Lhese Lwo exorclsms ls LhaL Lhe former Lakes place ln Lhe vlllage and Lhe laLLer
ln Lhe monasLerles. (See Appendlx C for noLe abouL rellglon). AlLhough each of Lhese ma[or fesLlvals are dlfferenL,
Lhey follow a slmllar paLLern ln LhaL food ls uLlllzed Lo faclllLaLe a relaLlonshlp beLween Lhe gods and pracLlLloners. AL
Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe ceremony food ls offered Lo Lhe gods Lo wln Lhelr favor and Lhen Lhe gods are lnvlLed Lo Lhe
rlLual under Lhe preLense of aLLendlng a feasL ln Lhelr honor. AL Lhe approprlaLe Llme, beer and graln are sprlnkled
lnLo Lhe alr by Lhe monks as a welcome slgn Lo Lhe gods. uemons are also appeased by Lhe offerlng of food. AfLer Lhe
gods have been lnvlLed, monks deLer Lhe demons from enLerlng by Lhrowlng food for Lhem ouL Lhe monasLery's
door so LhaL Lhey can lndulge Lhelr greedlness and be dlsLracLed from lnLerferlng wlLh Lhe rlLual. Cnly afLer Lhe gods
have feasLed and are saLlsfled, can pracLlLloners do prosLraLlons Lo apologlze for Lhelr prevlous slns and be cleansed.
AL Lhe concluslon of Lhe ceremony, cooked or edlble food, such as rlce and blsculLs, ls placed aL Lhe fooL of Lhe alLer
and afLer belng offered Lo Lhe gods lL ls lmmedlaLely consumed by Lhe members of Lhe communlLy ln aLLendance.
1he maln purpose of Lhese rellglous rlLuals ls obvlously noL food, buL wlLhouL food Lhe rlLuals would noL be
posslble.
31

lood for Lhe Cods
Maklng Lorma ls a sklll whlch monks learn
Lhrough Lhelr monasLlc sLudles. 1here are many
dlfferenL varleLles of Lorma and each dlfferenL
color, slze, and shape, has a dlfferenL symbollc
meanlng. ln Lhe phoLo above, Lhe monks are
consLrucLlng Lorma Lo be used durlng a funeral
pu[a Lhe followlng day.
llrsL a Lhlck pasLe ls made by bolllng flour and
waLer LogeLher and vlgorously foldlng Lhe pasLe
wlLh a wooden spoon. 1hen Lhe pasLe ls spread
ouL on a bamboo baskeL and allowed Lo cool.
Cnce lL ls cool enough Lo Louch, Lhe monks begln
Lhelr work. Lach has a speclflc [ob and Lhey work
ln sllence, only speaklng lnLermlLLlngly Lo ask for
lnsLrucLlons or dlrecLlon. Cn Lhe Lable, a small
sheeL of paper wlLh a plcLure of Lhe compleLed
Lorma lles as a gulde, and monks check lL
perlodlcally Lo assess Lhelr work. 1wo monks slL
cross legged around a large wooden board whlch
Lhey use as a sLurdy surface Lo roll and shape Lhe pasLe. AfLer Lhey have achleved Lhe approprlaLe sLrucLure, Lhey base Lhe Lorma off Lo Lhe nexL
monk who ls creaLlng Lhe clrcles of buLLer. Pe slLs behlnd a buckeL of warm waLer, meLhodlcally shaplng small balls of buLLer beLween Lhe palms of
hls hands and Lhen holdlng Lhem under Lhe waLer as he presses Lhem lnLo smooLh flaL clrcles. Pe Lhen uses hls nall Lo make a deslgn ln Lhe buLLer
Monks mak|ng torma for a funera| pu[a, Iunbes|
and presses Lhe buLLer clrcle onLo Lhe Lorma. AnoLher monk properly ldenLlfles each Lorma by aLLachlng a plcLure of Lhe approprlaLe god Lo Lhe
Lorma wlLh a Lhln wooden rod. And flnally Lwo monks, use waLer Lo perfecL Lhe shape of Lhe Lorma and Lhen place Lhem ln Lhelr proper poslLlon on
Lhe alLar. ln more elaboraLe pu[as, Lhe Lorma would also be colored and ornaLely decoraLed accordlng Lo sLrlcL speclflcaLlons.
ln addlLlon, feedlng monks ls ofLen Lhe responslblllLy of Lhe communlLy. AnyLlme monks are lnvlLed lnLo Lhe vlllage Lo do a pu[a, such as a house
pu[a or funeral pu[a, lL ls Lhe house owner's responslblllLy Lo provlde all of Lhe monks and conLlnuously serve Lhem Lea for Lhe duraLlon of Lhelr
sLay.
ln a larger sense, lL ls also Lhe communlLy's responslblllLy Lo supporL Lhe monasLery as a whole and lndlvlduals seeklng Lo earn merlL donaLe
money, or food lLems such as rlce, Lea, and crackers Lo Lhe nearesL monasLery. Accordlng Lo Lhe LradlLlonal 8uddhlsL charlLy sysLem, monks are
supposed Lo beg for Lhelr meals. Powever lL ls a very rare occurrence for Sherpa monks Lo beg. Accordlng Lo one lama, ln Lhese evll Llmes people
Lhlnk monks are lazy and so begrudge Lhem food".
32

I" J'K :6/&;23 J2./ L/./D';/( 7./&%+</
1he food of Solu khumbu reflecLs Lhe shlfLlng economy. As more Sherpas have become lnvolved
ln Lhe Lourlsm lndusLry and Lrekklng, forelgn dlshes have crepL Lhelr way lnLo Sherpa culslne.
Sherpas who own LourlsL lodges have learned Lo cook dlfferenL meals ln order Lo please Lhelr
cusLomers. 1he sLandard lodge dlnner menu lncludes wldely recognlzed lnLernal meals such as
spagheLLl, plzza, and sweeL desserLs such as apple ple. 1he reclpes were orlglnally learned based
on descrlpLlons from forelgners and Lhen were provlded for sale only afLer several rounds of
LasLe LasLlng.
ln addlLlon, as Sherpas become more affluenL a larger varleLy of lngredlenLs have been added Lo
Lhe culslne. . A prlme example of Lhls ls eggs. ln prevlous generaLlons, eggs were rarely
lncorporaLed lnLo Lhe Sherpa dleL. Powever Loday, lf a famlly can afford Lo buy eggs, or lf
someone ln Lhe vlllage ralses chlckens, eggs are eaLen boLh on Lhelr own, wheLher frled or as an
omeleL, or uLlllzed ln Lhe preparaLlon of LradlLlonal Sherpa dlshes. lor example, addlng an egg Lo
Lhe dough when maklng noodles for Lhukpa or shakpa creaLes flrmer, LasLler noodles. Also ln Lhe
preparaLlon of rlklkor (see opposlLe page) an egg adds Lo Lhe quallLy of Lhe baLLer.
:.;+,< 37* 4',*=1 3+4*1 .,(
.>+0+3= 3' /$%27.)* *<<) +) .
0$?$%= *,@'=*( >=
2',3*4/'%.%= A7*%/.) 37.3
37*+% .,2*)3'%) (+( ,'3 7.;*5

Ingred|ents
oLaLoes
Lgg
llour
Cnlons
Carllc
Chllles
Creen Cnlons
SalL
8uLLer

1o Cook:
1. eel poLaLoes and shred Lhem uslng a graLer. 1hls wlll Lurn
Lhe poLaLoes lnLo a mush.
2. nexL, prepare Lhe deslred sauce because Lhe pancakes are
besL when eaLen rlghL away.
3. Add an egg and a llLLle blL of flour Lo Lhe poLaLoe mush Lo
Lhlcken lL. 1he egg ls noL necessary buL lL wlll provlde a
beLLer flavor. llour should be added gradually Lo avold
maklng Lhe baLLer Lo Lhlck. (8efore addlng Lhe flour and
egg, remove a scoop of poLaLo Lo use ln Lhe chlll sauce)
4. PeaL oll ln a pan
3. lace a large heap of baLLer onLo Lhe pan. uslng Lhe back of
a meLal servlng spoon spread Lhe baLLer ouL lnLo a flaL
pancake. lL ls besL Lo apply pressure ln a clrcular moLlon,
sLarLlng ln Lhe cenLer and worklng your way Loward Lhe
ouLslde.
6. lllp afLer one slde has browned.
7. Serve wlLh buLLer and chlll sauce spread on Lop of Lhe
pancake.
1o eaL: 8lp of porLlons of Lhe pancake and dlp ln Lhe sauce or
roll Lhe pancake lnLo a log and Lhen rlp pleces off of Lhe end.

*,+,+7.
A pototo poocoke setveJ wltb bottet ooJ cblll sooce.

(u. 8lkl kur)
Sauces for k|k-k|-kor
1here are many dlfferenL posslblllLles and comblnaLlons
for sauces Lo Lop rlk-kl-kor. 1he followlng ls Lhe mosL
common.
1. PeaL oll ln a small saucepan.
2. 8rown chopped onlon and crushed garllc
Add a spoonful of Lhe shredded poLaLo
3. Comblne and crush chllles, green onlons, and salL.
4. Add Lhe chlll mlxLure Lo Lhe saucepan and fry for a
few mlnuLes, sLlrrlng frequenLly.
lor anoLher varlaLlon, add somar lnsLead of chllles and
green onlons ln sLeps 4 and 3. 1hls wlll creaLe a Lhlcker,
cheesy sauce.Cr a slmple mlxLure of crushed chllles,
garllc, and salL can be used Lo Lop rlk-kl-kor.

1op LefL: A homemade graLer, made from a meLal
plaLe wlLh a serlous of holes Lacked lnLo lL by a nall,
ls a sLandard lLem ln Sherpa klLchens ln order Lo
shred Lhe poLaLoes for rlk-kl-kor. 1op 8lghL: 1he
baLLer made of poLaLo, egg, and flour. 8oLLom LefL:
Spreadlng a poLaLo pancake. 8oLLom 8lghL: LaLlng a
flnlshed pancake.

Appendlx A
637/$58 -3+ 98":%- ;00+ <-="5
Lngllsh Sherpa ronunclaLlon Sherpa
(uevanagarl ScrlpL)
Alcohol ConLalner -- uo[um
Apple -- Syu
Auberglne -- 8henL
8anana -- ker
8arley -- !au
8eer Chaang chy n
8read kur kur
8uckwheaL -- 1au phe
8uckwheaL ancake 1haukor 1au kur
8uLLer Mar m r
Cabbage 8anda band
Caullflower --
kaul
CarroL Ca[ar C[ar
Cheese Chlz Clz
Chlves 8amba 8amb
Corn Llchl
llc

Corlander uanlya uhanly
Cumln Seed Zlra/[lra zlr
Curd Sho Syo
Curry -- Salva
uough -- Ly
urled 1omaLo -- SymL
ury 1sampa --
karv phe
uumpllng Mo-mo ma ma
Lgg -- Ce mendok
lenugreek Seed MeLhl Mendo
Carllc Cokpa gokp
Clnger Cyesar Cyesar
Creen Cnlon -- py [ onmu
Creens chermang cherm n
Croom Magpa
LenLlls/ulses dhaal d l
Llquor 8aksl

MeaL -- sy
Mllk oma om
Mlll -- Chyu Lak
MllleL --
gy r
MllleL 8eer 1hongba Lo b
MounLaln epper Alrmong y
MusLard Seed Lorl
Lor
nak nak n k
noodle Soup 1hukpa
Lhukp khu
Cnlon ryaz py
eanuL badam 8adam
lckle achar ac r
lease 1ake Shey-Shey Sye sye
oLaLo -- 8l
oLaLo ancake
rlk kur
oLaLo Soup nakLur
umpkln pharsl
pharc
8adlsh -- Lau
8lce dey u
SalL Lsa ch
Sherpa SLew Shakpa sy kp
Splces (general Lerm) Masala masal
Squash lskus korella lskus
SLlnglng neLLles Sl-yok sy k
Sugar -- Sakkar
1ea churn uong mo do mu
1hlck Sklnned 1omaLo 8henLa 8henL
1lbeLan Cookle kapsey kh
1lbeLan 1ea Su-cha Su cy
1ouchee korella 1ouchey karela karel
1sampa 1sampa/champa camp
1sampa ln a malleable ball ak/pag ak
1sampa orrldge kal Cyamdur
1urmerlc owder -- yu a
vegeLables Chermung cherm
Weddlng drlnk uemchang
WheaL L
?ak yak y k
Zhum Zhom !om
Zopklo Zopklo !op kyo
-- Poml ?arl
hom yar
-- kakslr k kslr
-- 8lldhuk 8lldok
-- Sercum Serkam
-- Shosheem Syoslm
-- Somar Somar
-- Syan sy n
-- 1e mo-mo Cop gop/Ll ma ma
-- 1oa Lu
-- 1orma Lorm
*lor dlshes were Lhere ls no sLandard Lngllsh LranslaLlon, an Lngllsh verslon of Lhe name was noL provlded.

Append|x 8
nuLrlLlonal lacLs
lood
CommodlLy
Ldlble
orLlon
MolsLure
Crms
roLlen
grms
laL
grms
Mlneral
grms
llber
grms
Lnergy
k.grms
Calclum
mgrms
hosphorous
mgs
lron
mgs
CaroLens
ug
vlLamln
C
mgs
Cereal
Craln

8uckwheaL 74 11.3 10.3 2.4 2.3 6.6 323 64 333 13.3 0 0
Malze ury 100 14.9 11.1 3.6 1.3 2.7 342 10 346 3.3 90 0
Malze flour
whlLe
100 12.0 9.2 3.9 1.2 1.6 333 20 233 2.4 0
Malze flour
yellow
100 12.0 9.2 3.9 1.2 1.6 333 20 236 2.4 30.3 0
MllleL 100 14.4 7.7 1.2 2.9 3.7 322 266 276 49.1 0
8lce
unbolled
100 12.6 8.3 0.6 0.9 349 10 260 2.8 9 0
8lce
parLbolled
100 13.3 6.4 6.4 0.7 0.2 346 8 143 1.0 0
8lce 8aw 100 13.3 7.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 346 10 190 3.2 2 0
8lce Cakes 100 12.2 6.6 1.2 2.0 0.7 346 20 236 20.0 0 0
8lce puff 100 14.7 7.3 0.1 3.8 0.3 323 23 130 66 0 0
WheaL
flour
100 12.2 12.1 1.7 2.7 1.9 341 48 333 4.9 29 0
WheaL
flour
reflned
100 13.3 11.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 348 23 121 2.7 23 0
ulses and
Legumes

8angal
gram
100 9.8 17.1 3.3 3.0 3.9 360 202 312 4.6 189 3
8engal
(dal)
100 9.9 20.8 3.6 2.7 1.2 372 36 331 3.3 129 1
8lack graln
whole
100 10.6 21.0 1.6 3.6 4.4 344 110 348 8.4 20 2
8lack graln
dal
100 10.9 24.0 1.4 3.2 0.9 347 134 383 3.8 36 0
Cow pea 100 13.4 24.1 1.0 3.2 3.8 323 77 414 8.6 12 0
Creen
gram
whole
100 10.4 24.0 1.3 3.3 4.1 334 124 326 7.3 94 0
Creen
gram dal
100 10.1 24.3 1.2 3.3 0.8 348 73 403 3.9 49 0
LenLll 100 12.4 23.1 0.7 2.1 0.7 343 69 293 7.3 270
eas dry 100 16.0 19.7 1.9 2.2 4.3 313 73 298 7.03 39 0
Soyabean
brown
100 8.1 43.2 19.3 4.6 3.7 432 140 690 10.4 426
Soyabean
black
100 12.1 33.3 13.0 4.0 4.3 393 213 309 9.3 10
8engal 100 10.2 33.3 17.7 3.0 4.2 400 226 346 8.3 10 0
whlLe
vegeLables
AmaranLh 83.0 3.0 0.3 3.6 1.1 43 800 30 22.9 3304 33
8amboo
ShooL
34 88.8 3.9 0.3 1.1 43 20 63 0.1 0 3
Cabbage 88 91.9 1.8 0.1 0.6 1.0 27 39 44 0.8 120 124
CarroL
Leaves
31 76.6 3.1 0.3 2.8 1.9 77 340 110 8.8 3700 79
Caullflower
green
71 80.0 3.9 1.3 3.2 2.0 66 626 107 40.0
Corlander
leaves
70 86.3 3.3 0.6 2.2 1.2 44 184 71 1.42 6918 133
lenugreek
leaves
39 86.1 4.4 0.9 1.3 1.1 49 393 31 1.93 2340 32
Carllc 92 79.3 2.4 0.3 0.9 1.6 41 33 42 0.6 843 36
MlnL 43 84.9 4.8 0.6 1.9 2.0 48 200 62 13.6 1620 27
MusLard
leaves
89.8 4.0 0.6 1.6 0.8 34 133 26 16.3 2622 33
umpkln
leaves
81.9 4.6 0.8 3.7 2.1 33 392 112
8adlsh
leaves
100 90.8 3.8 0.4 1.6 1.0 28 263 39 0.9 7300 81
8ape
leaves
84.9 3.1 0.4 2.3 1.2 48 370 110 12.3 130 63
8ooLs and
1ubers

CarroL 93 86.0 0.9 0.2 1.1 1.2 48 80 330 1.03 4273 3
Carllc ury 83 62.0 6.0 0.1 1.0 0.8 143 30 310 1.3 13
Cnlon 93 83.6 1.2 0.1 0.4 1.3 30 47 30 0.6 0 11
oLaLo 83 74.7 1.6 0.1 0.6 0.6 97 10 40 0.48 0 17
8adlsh plnk 98 90.8 0.6 0.3 0.9 0.6 32 30 20 0.37 0 17
8adlsh
whlLe
99 94.4 0.7 0.1 0.6 9.6 17 33 22 0.4 3 13
SweeL
poLaLo
97 68.3 1.2 0.3 1.0 0.7 120 46 30 0.21 6 24
1urnlp red 60 88.9 1.2 0.13 0.7 1.3 39 48 33 2.3 1.2
nuLs and
Cll Seeds

Almond 3.2 20.8 38.9 2.9 1.7 663 230 490 3.09 0 0
Cashew 3.9 21.2 46.9 2.4 1.3 396 30 430 3.8 60 0
CoconuL 4.3 6.8 62.3 1.6 6.6 662 400 210 7.8 0 7
CroundnuL 73 3.0 23.3 40.1 2.4 3.1 367 90 330 2.3 37 0
Llnseed
Seeds
99 6.3 20.3 37.1 2.4 4.8 330 170 370 2.7 30 0
WalnuL 43 4.3 13.6 64.3 1.8 2.6 687 100 380 2.04 6 0
lrulLs
Amala 89 81.8 0.3 0.1 0.3 3.4 38 30 20 1.2 9 600
Apple 90 84.6 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.0 39 10 14 0.66 0 1
8anana 71 70.1 1.2 0.3 0.8 0.4 116 17 36 0.37 78 7
Crape 93 82.2 0.6 0.4 0.9 2.8 38 20 23 0.3 3 1
Lapsl 39 79.9 0.3 0.02 0.3 1.4 73.6 268 20.6 2.7 48
Lemon
[ulce
83.0 1.0 0.9 0.3 37 70 10 0.03 0 39
Llchl 68 84.1 1.1 0.3 0.3 61 10 33 0.7 0 31
Mango 74 81.0 0.6 0.4 0.7 74 14 16 1.3 2743 16
Crange 67 87.6 0.7 0.3 0.3 48 26 20 0.32 1104 30
apaya 73 90.8 0.6 0.3 0.8 32 17 13 0.3 666 37
llsh, MeaL
and egg
8uffalo 78.7 19.4 86 3 189
uuck MeaL 72.3 21.6 4.8 130 4 233
Lgg-hen 73.7 13.3 13.3 173 60 220 2.1 600 0
llsh 78 76.7 16.7 1.4 97 630 173 1 0 22
CoaL MeaL 74.2 21.4 3.6 118 12 193
ork
Muscle
77.4 18.7 4.4 114 30 200 2.2
Mllk and
Mllk
roducLs

8uffalo
mllk
100 81.0 4.3 6.3 0.8 117 210 130 0.2 160 1
Cow mllk 100 87.3 3.2 4.1 0.8 67 120 90 0.2 174 2
Curd 100 89.1 3.2 4.0 0.8 60 149 93 0.2 137 1
CoaL mllk 100 86.8 3.3 4.3 0.7 72 170 120 0.3 1
laL and
Ldlble olls

8uLLer 100 19.0 81.0 2.3 729 3200
Chee cow 100 100 900 2000
Chee
buffalo
100 100 900 900

**8ecorded from Lhe ulsLrlcL AgrlculLural Cfflce ln Sallerle

Append|x C

ke||g|on
1hls pro[ecL ls noL lnLended Lo presenL a comprehenslve revlew of Sherpa falLh or Lhe lnLrlcacles of 1lbeLan 8uddhlsm. 8aLher lL ls brlef overvlew
deLalllng Lhe lmporLance of food ln promlnenL rellglous fesLlvals and pracLlces. Many sLudles have been conducLed on Sherpa rellglous rlLuals. 1o
reconsLrucL and evaluaLe Lhose sLudles would be a larger underLaklng Lhan feaslble ln Lhls pro[ecL. lor an ln-depLh analysls of Sherpa rellglon see
Sherpas of nepal: 8uddhlsL Plghlanders" by ChrlsLophe von lurer-Palmendorf or Sherpas 1hrough 1helr 8lLuals" by Sherry CrLner.

Append|x D
@;;&'M+<2%/ 1'+D+$8 %/<;/&2%)&/3 '9 K2%/& 2%
.2&+')3 2D%+%)(/3
A|t|tude 1emperature
Sea Level 212 degrees l
2,000 fL. 208 degrees l

Suggest|ons for Iurther kesearch
1he adapt|on and deve|opment of Sherpa food outs|de of Nepa|, spec|f|ca||y |n the US where there are
many Sherpa |mm|grants.
1he or|g|n of the potato |n So|ukhumbu.
1he hea|th effects of Su-cha at h|gh a|t|tudes versus |ow a|t|tudes.
An ana|ys|s of cheese and cheese factor|es |n So|ukhumbu.
1he ro|e of food |n monast|c ||fe and re||g|ous r|tua|s

L|st of Interv|ews

asang Lama
lnLervlewed on 11/10/01-11/20/2011 ln !unbesl.
A Sherpa man ln hls laLe forLles, Mr. asang Lama ls Lhe owner of Ang Chokpas lodge ln !unbesl. Pls ls marrled and has Lhree daughLers ln Lhelr
LwenLles. ln addlLlon Lo ownlng Lhe ldoge, asang Lama also owns land ln !unbesl whlch he pays oLher non Sherpa member of !unbesl Lo farm.

Candl Lama
A Sherpa woman ln her early forLles, Candl Lama ls Lhe wlfe of Mr. asang Lama and Lhe flnanclal and cullnary manager of Ang Chokpas lodge. She
also spends a conslderable amounL of Llme worklng ln her vegeLable garden and Lendlng Lo Lhe famlly's llvesLock.

uolma Lama
A 29 year old Sherpa woman, uolma Lama ls Lhe daughLer of asang and Candl Lama. She works ln Lhe lodge, preparlng food for guesLs and
Leachlng Lhe Lhree younger chlldren who sLay wlLh Lhe famlly how Lo cook. She was born ln !unbesl and educaLed ln kaLhmandu.

8adrey Lama
lnLervlewed on 11/19/2011 ln !unbesll
A Sherpa man ln hls laLe LhlrLles, Mr. 8adrey Lama ls a naLlve of !unbesl. Pe ls Lhe owner of a lodge and ls well known for hls rllduk. Pe and hls
wlfe have a Lwo year old son.

Lhamo Lama
lnLervlewed on 11/12/2011 ln !unbesl
A Sherpa woman ln her early LhlrLles, Lhamo Lama ls Lhe wlfe of 8adrey Lama. She spends mosL of her Llme Lendlng Lo Lhelr son and cooklng for
Lhe famlly and guesLs.

kharma Lama
lnLervlewed on 11/13/2011
A Sherpa man ln hls early LhlrLles, Mr. kharma Lama ls a naLlve of !unbesl. Pe ls marrled wlLh Lwo young chlldren and he works as an elemenLary
school Leacher abouL an hours walk from !unbesl. Pls wlfe ls responslble for Lendlng Lo Lhelr flelds where Lhey grow poLaLoes, wheaL, and
vegeLables.

Ang ChorLl Sherpa
lnLervlewed on 11/11/11 and 11/14/2011 ln !unbesl
A Sherpa woman ln her early flfLles, Ang ChorLl Sherpa ls Lhe owner of Lhe Sherpa guesL house ln !unbesl. Per lodge does very llLLle buslness and
she spend mosL of her Llme updaLlng herself and Lhe comlngs and golngs of Lhe vlllage.

uor[ee Sherpa
A Sherpa man ln hls mld forLles, Mr. uor[ee Sherpa ls a naLlve of !unbesl. Pe sLlll owns a home Lhere desplLe Lhe facL LhaL he currenLly llves ln
kaLhmandu wlLh hls wlfe and chlldren. Pe vlslLs sLays ln !unbesl whlle dolng work for Lhe overLy AllevlaLlon lund of Lhe Plmal ?eLl Club.

asang kaml Sherpa
lnLervlewed on 11/20 ln !unbesl
A Sherpa man ln hls early LwenLles, asang kaml ls Lrekklng gulde ln Solu khumbu. Pe was born ln horLse and sLlll llves Lhere when he ls noL
Lrekklng or dolng buslness ln kaLhmandu.

ngawang Choden
lnLervlewed on 11/20 ln 1hubLen Chollng
ngawang Choden ls a 61 year old nun aL 1hubLen Chollng MonasLery. She was born ln Lhe uongpa reglon of 1lbeL and escaped lnLo nepal when
she was a young chlld.

Mr. and Mrs. !ane uoe
lnLervlewed on 11/9/2011 and 11/22/2011 ln horLeng.
Mr. and Mrs. !ane uoe llve ln Lhe Lwo house vlllage of horLeng. 1hey own Lhe LveresL vlew CuesL house, a frequenL resL polnL for Lrekkers and a
well known place Lo dellclous Shakpa Lo porLers and guldes.

narendra 1hapa Magar
lnLervlewed on 11/22/2011-11/27/2011 ln Sallerle
A magar man ln hls early forLles, Mr. narendra 1hapa Magar ls Lhe owner of Lhe MoonllghL PoLel ln Sallerle, a local lodge known for lLs 1lbeLan
mo-mos. Many communlLy members frequenLly come Lo eaL durlng Lhe day buL very few guesLs ever sLay Lhe nlghL. narendra 1hapa ls marrled
wlLh Lwo sons and he recenLly became a grandfaLher. ln hls spare Llme he volunLeers for Lhe red cross.
Mrs. 1hapa Magar
lnLervlewed on 11/22/2011-11/27/2011 ln Sallerle.
1he wlfe of Mr. narendra 1hapa Magar, Mrs. 1hapa Magar ls a mager woman from a small vlllage flve hours souLh of Sallerle. Per marrlage wlLh
narendra was arranged by Lhe couples parenLs and she spends her Llme preparlng all of Lhe food for Lhe lodge and famlly.

Mr. !ohn uoe ll
lnLervlewed on 11/22/2011 ln Sallarle
A Sherpa man ln hls mld flfLles, Mr. !ohn uoe ll ls a farmer ln Sallarle. Pe was born ln Lhe vlllage and was a vlLal recourse on farmlng meLhods.

!lku Sherpa
lnLervlewed on 11/23/2011 ln Sallerle
A Sherpa man ln hls mld forLles, !lku Sherpa was born ln haplu and sLlll owns a home Lhere. Pe ls Lhe son of Lakpa Sherpa.

Lakpa Sherpa
A Sherpa man ln hls early slxLles, Mr. Lakpa Sherpa was born and sLlll llves ln haplu. Pe ls Lhe faLher of !lku Sherpa.

8am 8ahadur kurumbang
Chlef ulsLrlcL Cfflcer of Solu khumbu

1aula Sunuwar
AsslsLanL Lo Lhe ulsLrlcL uevelopmenL CommlLLee.

uawa Sherpa
Lmployee of Lhe ulsLrlcL AgrlculLural Cfflce ln Sallarle.

Ang ema Sherpa
A Sherpa woman ln her mld forLles, Ang ema Sherpa ls a local resldenL of Sallerle. She ls marrled and has Lwo sons. She comes from a wealLhy
famlly and ls well known for her generous hosplLallLy and cullnary skllls.

Mr. and Mrs. nylma Sherpa
Ang Sherpa couple ln Lhelr mld slxLles, Mr. and Mrs. nylma Sherpa currenLly llve ln Sallerle and own a large

Mr. Som 8u8 1amang
lnLervlewed on 11/28/2011
A 32 year old 1amang man, Mr. Som 8u8 1amang ls a mounLaln and Lrekklng gulde ln Solukhumbu. Pe was born ln a vlllage Lwo hours norLh of
Lukla. When we meL he had [usL recenLly flnlshed a Lrek and was on hls way Lo [lrl.

8lbllography
1. "Annual newsleLLer." Plmalayan 1rusL. Accessed uecember 6, 2011. LasL modlfled !anuary 2011.
://www.hlmalayanLrusL.org/LrlbuLe.php.
2. "oLenLlal 1errorlsL use of ressure Cookers." ASlS lnLernaLlonal. Accessed uecember 1, 2011. LasL modlfled lebruary 4, 2004.
hLLp://www.aslsonllne.org/newsroom/crlsls8esponse/pressureCooker.xml.
3. ChlLrakar, Anll. 1be llfe of looJ lo Nepol. kaLhmandu: rlnL olnL ubllshlng, 2010.
4. Choden, kunzang. cbllll ooJ cbeese, looJ ooJ 5oclety lo 8botoo. 8angkok: WhlLe LoLus, 2008.
3. Cllmblng ouL of Punger Along Lhe Slopes of Lhe Plmalayas, Wl
6. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer-. 1be 5betpos 1toosfotmeJ. n.p.: SLerllng, 1984.
7. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer-. 5betpos of Nepol. 8oJJblst nlqblooJets. n.p.: 1ransaLlanLlc ArLs,1972.
8. nlqb leoks lote ottb (blog). PlghpeakspureearLh.com.
hLLp://www.[sLor.org/sLable/762239.
9. hLLp://www.wfp.org/counLrles/nepal/hunger-lnfo/food-securlLy-analysls
10. kelly, LllzabeLh LsLher. 1lbetoo cookloq. Snow Llon ubllcaLlons 2007. lLhaca, new ?ork.
11. Lama, 1hupLen Sherpa. 1be 5betpos ooJ 5botkbombo. nepal LlLhographlng Co. L1u. 1999
12. CrLner, Sherry. "Sherpa urlLy." Istot. Accessed november 3, 2011. LasL modlfled lebruary 1973.
13. CrLner, Sherry. 5betpos 1btooqb 1belt kltools. n.p.: Cambrldge unlverslLy ress, 1978.
14. aLhak, !yoLl. 1oste of Nepol. Plppocrene 8ooks. May 2007
13. 5boJow 1lbet (blog). hLLp://www.[amyangnorbu.com.
16. Sherpa, Lhakpa norbu and 8a[racharya, 8lrendra. vlew of o nlqb lloce, Nototol looJscopes of 5oqotmotbo Notloool lotk.. PkkP
arLnershlp ro[ecL/ lClMCu 2009
17. Sherpa, Lhakpa norbu. 1btooqb o 5betpo wloJow. va[ra ubllcaLlons 2008 !yaLha, 1hamel
18. WaLer SLorage: A sLraLegy for CllmaLe Change adapLlon ln Lhe Plmalayas. lClMCu no. 36 WlnLer 2009

1. Lee, Sang ?ong. Challenges of a Sherpa ulcLlonary ro[ecL, accessed uecember 6, 2001, lasL modlfled May 24, 2004,
hLLp://crcl.Lh.neL/sealex/Lee_SherpaulcL.pdf.
2. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer-. 5betpos of Nepol. 8oJJblst nlqblooJets. n.p.: 1ransaLlanLlc ArLs,1972. age 18.
3. lbld
4. lbld
3. "1sampa LaLers and SweeL 1ea urlnkers: 1lbeLan ldenLlLy AsserLlon 1hrough lood," nlqb leoks lote ottb (blog), !anuary 19, 2011, accessed
november 3, 2011,hLLp://www.hlghpeakspureearLh.com/2011/01/Lsampa-eaLers-and-sweeL-Lea-drlnkers.hLml.
6. Magar, narendra
7. "1sampa LaLers and SweeL 1ea urlnkers: 1lbeLan ldenLlLy AsserLlon 1hrough lood,"
8. lbld
9. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer-. 5betpos of Nepol. 8oJJblst nlqblooJets. n.p.: 1ransaLlanLlc ArLs,1972. age 7.
10. lbld
11. lbld
12. Sherpa, uawa
13.lbld
14. uoe, !ohn
13. Magar, narendra
16. Sherpa, kharma
17. Sherpa, Candl
19. Magar, narendra
20. lbld
21. lbld
22. CrLner,Sherry. "Sherpa urlLy," Istot, accessed november 3, 2011, lasL modlfled lebruary
1973, hLLp://www.[sLor.org/sLable/762239.age 33
23. 1amang, Som 8u8
24. uoe, !ohn ll
23. Wl
26.lbld
27. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer. ages 8-10
28. lbld
29. Lama, asang
30. CrLner, Sherry. 5betpos 1btooqb 1belt kltools. n.p.: Cambrldge unlverslLy ress, 1978. age 13

31. aLhak, !yoLl. 1oste of Nepol. Plppocrene 8ooks. May 2007. age 423
32. "oLenLlal 1errorlsL use of ressure Cookers," ASlS lnLernaLlonal, accessed uecember 1, 2011, lasL modlfled lebruary 4, 2004,
hLLp://www.aslsonllne.org/newsroom/crlsls8esponse/pressureCooker.xml.
33. "Annual newsleLLer," Plmalayan 1rusL, accessed uecember 6, 2011, lasL modlfled !anuary 2011, hLLp://www.hlmalayanLrusL.org/LrlbuLe.php.
34. Lama, 8adrey
33. CrLner,Sherry. "Sherpa urlLy," Istot, accessed november 3, 2011, lasL modlfled lebruary
1973, hLLp://www.[sLor.org/sLable/762239.age 33
36. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer. age 8.
37. lbld
38. uoe. !ohn ll
39.Lama, asang
40. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer. age 6.
41. lbld
42. Lama, uolma
43. Lama, uor[ee !anbu
44. Choedln, ngawang
46. Lama, uor[ee !anbu
47. Lama, uolma
48. Sherpa, Lhakpa norbu. 1btooqb o 5betpo wloJow. va[ra ubllcaLlons 2008 !yaLha, 1hamel
49. Palmendorf, ChrlsLoph von lurer. age 47
30.Lama, 1hupLen Sherpa. 1be 5betpos ooJ 5botkbombo. nepal LlLhographlng Co. L1u. 1999. age 18.
31. CrLner, Sherry. 5betpos 1btooqb 1belt kltools. n.p.: Cambrldge unlverslLy ress, 1978. age 129-133

We Are What We Eat - A Sherpa Cookbook

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We Are What We Eat - A Sherpa Cookbook

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