Tibetan Food in McLeodganj: Momos, Thukpa and the Comfort of Butter Tea

It is cold outside. Your fingers are stiff from the walk back from Bhagsu. Someone places a bowl in front of you: noodles hand-pulled into flat pieces, a clear broth steaming with ginger and garlic, a few greens floating on top. You wrap both hands around it before you even pick up the spoon.

That bowl is thenthuk, and it explains Tibetan food better than any description. It is food made for cold mountains. Simple, warming, honest.

Momos, properly

You have eaten momos. You have probably not eaten them like this. In McLeodganj's small family kitchens, the dough is thin, the pleats are neat, and the filling is juicy enough that you learn to bite carefully. Try both steamed and fried, and always ask for the house chilli sauce. Every kitchen's version is different, and every kitchen is quietly proud of it.

Thukpa and thenthuk

Thukpa is the noodle soup most people know. Thenthuk is its heartier cousin, with hand-torn flat noodles. Both are the right answer after a cold day.

Laphing: the street food you will crave later

Laphing is a cold, slippery mung bean or wheat starch sheet, rolled with chilli oil, garlic and soy, and cut into ribbons. It is spicy, tangy and strangely addictive. You will find it at small street stalls near the temple road. Eat it standing up, the way it is meant to be eaten.

Tingmo, shapaley and more

• Tingmo: a soft, steamed, spiralled bread, perfect for mopping up a spicy curry.
• Shapaley: a crisp, fried pastry stuffed with spiced meat or vegetables. Think of a Tibetan samosa.
• Gyathuk: another noodle soup, often richer and more robust.
• Khapse: crunchy fried biscuits, especially around Losar, the Tibetan new year.

Butter tea: an acquired taste worth acquiring

Po cha is tea churned with butter and salt. Your first sip will confuse you; it tastes closer to soup than to chai. But on a cold morning, in a high, dry place, it makes complete sense. It keeps your lips from cracking and your body warm. Have one cup out of respect. Have a second if you find you've grown to like it.

Eating well and kindly

Many of the best kitchens are tiny, family-run and sometimes connected to community projects. Eat where the Tibetan families eat. Be patient when service is slow; food is often made fresh to order. And don't leave without saying thujey che, thank you.

Taste McLeodganj with GoRaahi

Some of our favourite memories in Himachal are around a shared table of momos and thenthuk. Join one of GoRaahi's Himachal departures and eat with us.

See the Bir & McLeodganj girls-only trip →