What to Eat in Cherrapunji Today?

Rice and pork at the centre

Jadoh is the dish to start with: rice cooked with pork or chicken and spices, often coloured and flavoured with meat stock. It is lunch food, sold in small eateries across the Khasi Hills. Doh-neiiong is pork in a dark, nutty gravy of roasted black sesame, ginger and onion. Eat the two together with a plain vegetable side and you have the classic Khasi plate.

Fermented flavours

Tungrymbai is fermented soybean cooked with pork and sesame. It smells strong and tastes rich and savoury. Tungtap is a sharp chutney made with fermented dried fish, eaten in small amounts with pumaloi, a soft cake of steamed powdered rice. If you are unsure, order a small portion on the side first.

Snacks and tea

Pukhlein is a fried rice-flour fritter sweetened with jaggery. It is a teatime snack, best fresh from the pan. Momos are everywhere, with pork, chicken or vegetable fillings and a hot chilli chutney. They are easy to find at the viewpoints and near the market.

Tea stalls

The simplest places to eat in Sohra are the local "tea stalls": small rooms where you choose what goes on your rice from a few pots. They are cheap, quick and mostly non-vegetarian. English may be limited, so point at the pots.

For vegetarians

Khasi cooking is heavily meat-based, so vegetarians should eat in the restaurants that cater for visitors. Orange Roots in Sohra is fully vegetarian, and pukhlein and vegetable momos are safe snacks. See where to eat for the full list.

Lunch is the main meal

Most local eateries cook for lunch and sell out by the afternoon. Plan your jadoh for midday, and eat dinner at your hotel or homestay.