What to Eat in Kaziranga Today?

Tea first

Kaziranga sits among tea gardens, and the day starts with a cup of strong Assam tea before the morning safari. Many lodges serve it with pitha, the rice-flour cakes of Bihu, or simple biscuits. If you are staying near an estate, ask whether you can visit the factory during the plucking season.

The thali

Lunch after a morning safari is the time for a full Assamese thali: rice, dal, khar, a vegetable bhaji, a fish or meat curry and a sour tenga to finish. It is mild, filling and very different from North Indian thalis. The Assamese Kitchen and the highway dhaba in Kohora serve thalis, and most resorts offer one if you ask.

Khar

Khar is cooked with an alkaline liquid filtered from burnt banana peel, often with raw papaya or lentils. It is eaten first in a meal and tastes earthy and a little soapy. It is so central to Assamese cooking that people call themselves khar-khuwa, the khar eaters.

Masor tenga

A thin, sour fish curry made with tomato, lemon or thekera, and river fish. It is light enough for a hot afternoon and goes with plenty of rice.

Duck curry

Hanhor mangxo, duck cooked with ash gourd or pumpkin and whole spices, is a winter favourite in this part of Assam. It is richer than most Assamese dishes and best at dinner. Ask in advance at smaller kitchens, as it is not always on the stove.

Pitha

Til pitha, rolled with sesame and jaggery, and ghila pitha, fried and round, turn up at breakfast and tea. January's Magh Bihu is when they are made fresh in every home.

Eating on safari days

Morning safaris leave before breakfast, so ask your lodge for a packed snack or an early tea. You cannot eat in the jeep inside the park, and littering is strictly banned.