What to Eat in Tawang Today?

The dishes to look for

• Thukpa — noodle soup with vegetables or meat. It is the easiest warm lunch after a cold morning at the monastery.
• Momos — steamed dumplings with a sharp chilli dip. Pork and chicken are common; vegetable versions are everywhere too.
• Zan — a thick porridge of millet or buckwheat flour, eaten with a stew of greens, meat or fermented cheese. It is the Monpa staple and fills you up for hours.
• Gyapa khazi — rice cooked with minced meat, cheese and greens, more of a festive dish than an everyday one.
• Butter tea (po cha) — tea churned with butter and salt. Think of it as a warm, salty broth rather than tea, and it makes more sense.

Monpa flavours

Cheese is the thread through Monpa cooking. Soft fermented cheese goes into stews and chilli sauces, and hard dried cheese (churpi) is chewed as a snack. Dried chillies, local greens and radish show up often. Food is lightly spiced, but the chilli pastes on the side can be fierce, so taste before you spoon it on.

Eating at altitude

Your appetite may drop for the first day. Soups and tea help with both warmth and hydration. Go easy on alcohol, including the local millet and rice brews, until you are used to the height.

Vegetarian travellers

You can eat well: vegetable thukpa, vegetable momos, zan with greens, and plain dal-rice at Indian-style places. Ask about meat stock in soups if you are strict.

Where to find it

The old market has the most momo and thukpa counters. For zan and gyapa khazi, look for places that list Monpa dishes, or ask your homestay to cook them. The where to eat in Tawang page lists places by dish.