Food makes Identity

Known as the ‘roof of the World’ Ladakh is the Last village when you go North of India, high and mighty as it lies encircled by the Himalayas. The population is purely tribal and most of their roots can be found in Tibet. It is a cold desert with extreme climatic conditions for six months in winters when the temperature falls as low as minus 40.
People has adapted to this condition and thus the food they eat are also very peculiar to this place.Gur gur tea or (also known as butter tea) is made through out the year in every house hold and its churned with special yak milk in an elongated apparatus which makes the sound gur-gur and thus the name. This tea helps to keep a balance between the body temperature and the environmental temperature. It is served to the guests also and women folk particularly keep sipping the tea in small cups all through the day.
A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is Skyu, a heavy kind of pasta dish with root vegetables. In extreme cold conditions it helps in keeping the body temperature warm. This dish is also connected to a special rare occasion in the village.Whenver the snow falls for more then two days, on the third day the whole village comes together and skyu is made in large quantity and distributed among the natives and they pray to the snow gods to stop the fall.
The surplus barley produced is fermented into chang, an alcoholic beverage that is drunk especially on festive occasions. This drink an unavoidable part of marriages, archery festivals, mask dance in monasteries and many other occasions. The groom’s friend who comes to pick the bride always keeps one small cup with them so that they can take ‘chang’ while they are being welcomed at the grooms place.
Tourists flock this region to enjoy its food, culture & beautiful monasteries. Food and culture of the place goes hand in hand and visitors can be seen enjoying both.