What to Eat in Nongriat Today?

Eating at the bottom of a gorge

There are no restaurants in Nongriat in the usual sense. Meals come from homestay kitchens, and snacks from a few small stalls by the root bridge and along the trail. Every sack of rice and gas cylinder is carried down by hand, so menus are short and the kitchen may need notice for dinner. Tell your homestay when you arrive what time you want to eat.

Khasi food to try

Jadoh is the dish most visitors meet first: red or local rice cooked with pork, turmeric, ginger and onion. Tungrymbai is a dark, strong-tasting stew of fermented soybean, often cooked with pork and black sesame. It is an acquired taste, but it is what many Khasi families eat at home. Pork appears in most dishes, so vegetarians should ask for rice, dal and vegetables, which most homestays can make.

Trail fuel

Momos and hot Maggi noodles are what the stalls near the double-decker bridge and on the Rainbow Falls path do best. They are simple, filling and exactly right after two hours of steps.

Red tea and pukhlein

Khasi red tea is black tea without milk, usually sweetened. It comes with pukhlein, a fried cake of rice flour and jaggery, or other rice snacks. Stopping for a glass partway up the return climb is a local habit worth copying.

What to carry

Buy water, glucose biscuits, dry fruit and chocolate in Sohra before you set off. There are refill points and small shops on the route, but prices rise with every step. Carry your wrappers back out; there is no rubbish collection in the gorge. For where each dish is served, see where to eat in Nongriat.