Discover the secrets of healthy, organic and innovative mountain cuisine from the Northern Pakistan
Fruits
Hunza stands as an agricultural society - a valley highly popular for its delectable fruits, dry fruits and nuts. People here eat a lot of fruit, nuts, yogurt and use pure honey or apricots as sweeteners. They habitually season their food and tea using Himalayan pink salt.
Hunza grows fruits in abundance. Being an integral part of Hunza diet, everyone has their own fruit orchards. Most common fruits are several different kinds of apples, cherries, pears, apricots, grapes, peaches and mulberry. Anyone who visits the mountains must try fruit picked fresh from off the trees (of course with permission).
The luscious black ripe cherries are the best option on any given day. The juiciest and the most roundest of all are found in Hunza. Imagine waking up to the mouthwatering Hunza cherries by your bedside and having them before you brush your teeth, in bed under covers! I make sure to refill my bag every time I am in a market place. Best option to take with you on a trek.
The first fruit I tried in Hunza were the apricots and I fell in love with the juicy succulent orange-yellow treats. Apricots are known as the "gold" of Hunza Valley. The delicious fruit is the major diet in summers and dried and stored throughout the winters. The pits are cracked to obtain the kernel that is crushed to obtain the oil for cooking and for lamps. The oil contains substance that are said to protect against heart diseases, circulation issues and cancer, which may or may not be true. The hard shell is kept for fire fuel.
At Gulmit we had the green, white, pink, red and black mulberry literally pouring down from the thick laden trees. The dull white and the black ones were the sweetest. Ganish had these ripe light yellow ones that tasted extremely sweet.
Oftentimes you will find different looking, sweet, pulpy and tangy tasting plums. I found a small shed near Raikot bridge, on our way towards Fairy Meadows, selling, what he told me were plums (small, shinier ones) and apricots.
Another famous produce of Hunza valley is the many different kinds of apples. As you drive or walk along you can witness orchards stretched all across with trees laden with fruit. Many varieties available including the sweet, juicy, crunchy and tart fruit ready to be plucked and eaten (again of course with permission). Normally the apples are dehydrated and sold in the markets just as cherries, strawberries, apricots, grapes/raisins and other dried fruits are available to purchase. I was told that apple powder is used on cold mornings. They mix the powder in cold water or milk and give it to their children. Inexpensive and one-of its kind, once you eat fruit in this region you definitely won't enjoy fruit anywhere else. Trust me!
Juices
Chamus in Hunza or Chamburogh in Kalash - is dried apricot juice. The sun-dried organic apricots are soaked in water before kneading and straining it and garnished with chopped apricot kernels. This is my all-time favourite drink that I now prepare at home. Dehydrated fruits are a terrific snack. They are sweet and nutritious, and perfect for adding to baked goods to give an extra boost of flavour. For me it is a great snack for lunch box too!
I always visit Hidden Paradise, Karimabad Hunza for my favourite fresh beverage but this time we ordered a glass of mulberry juice with Chamus. Slightly thick in texture but you can feel the purity of the fruit.
On my visit to Peshawar last year I saw this cart selling fresh sugarcane juice. Somehow the cart creeped me out so we did not stop except to click a pic. Many places in Pakistan (mostly Punjab, Sindh & KPK) sell cut up and peeled sugarcane as well as its juice with lemon and ginger squeezed with it. Refreshing and utterly delicious on a hot sweltering day.
Desserts
Most Pakistanis have a sweet tooth, but that's not the case in some mountainous regions. People prefer using natural ingredients to sweeten their desserts such as fresh fruit or honey. Gilgit Baltistan enjoys more savoury dishes than sweet. Yet there are some sweet-dishes that should not be missed while travelling. The creamy, rich and unadulterated food fills your belly to the fullest.
Glacier Breeze – House of Apricot cake, where you will always find the humblest and politest Ahmed Ali Khan sahab, the man behind the idea of putting simple home-grown apricots in a simple home-baked sponge cake. Baked and served fresh along with a French-pressed cup of coffee or tumoro (wild thyme Hunza special tea).
Walnut cake served at Cafe de Hunza, Karimabad is a must-eat nutty treat. I love the dense pastry-like cake with a rich caramel walnut filling. A non-conventional dessert with a cup of steaming tumoro served with pure honey and the walnut cake full of walnut chunks assorted with honey glazed caramel sauce is all you need with a view to unwind a perfect evening.
I was fortunate to attend a wedding in Chaman-Gul, Gulmit last year. The event I attended is called Shupurzuvn meaning, to make them up, making them shine on their wedding day. The special dish that was served is called Zarj Tubaq. Zarj means milk and Tubaq means dish. Crushed up pieces of bread called Chamuriki / Chamurki mixed with apricot oil on the side, with a bowl of milk. A small amount of apricot oil is mixed in the milk too with sweet apricot kernels and small pieces of colourful sweets and candies on the side. The ladies told me how to eat it. You take a small amount of Chamuriki in your spoon dip it in milk and eat it. Another way is to add kernels to the milk and eat it. They were kind enough to tell me to put handful of apricot kernels in my pocket since I was headed to Shimshal the next day!
A very healthy dish indeed.
In Immit - Ishkoman, Ghizer district we had this dessert Sheerbrinj / Sheerkrink at a home we were staying the night in. It is like a local kheer made from rice and milk with no sugar. The host told me sheer is milk and krink is lassi - a milk and yogurt drink that was also served that night. Diltar is a refreshing yogurt drink (buttermilk, lassi or a plain yogurt drink). Traditionally, it is prepared in a goat or sheep skin, shaken or rolled on the ground until buttery texture is formed. Alternatively, a tall, cylindrical wooden pot was used to separate butter from lassi. The wooden pot is called Zagghu in brushaski and shina languages. This method of making lassi and churning butter is still used in ancient settlements.
Today, Diltar is made by mixing yogurt with an equal amount of water and blend at high speed for a few minutes. Add salt, sugar, honey or fruits and blend well.
At Fong Khar Restaurant, Shigar Fort, Skardu, we ordered Pharing Bath, not knowing exactly what it was. The description said, a special local dessert with a combination of apricot milk, cream and nuts. THE best local dessert I have had so far. Naturally sweetened, fresh apricots topped with chopped apricot kernels and served with whipped cream. I can so go back to Shigar fort, Skadru just for that delectable sweet dish. The thick, sticky, saturated in its own syrup simple fashioned dessert had a musky, faint tartness to it. Asked for another helping of cream because that wasn't enough, and we finished it off clean!
At Yabgo Khar Restaurant, Khaplu Fort, Skardu, we ordered a Apricot mousse. Yes! I feel the need to try anything apricot related. A fresh summery sweet treat served elegantly with a dollop of cream and a piece of leaf-shaped chocolate alongside fresh watermelons. A refreshing, fruity velvety smooth dish that disappeared within seconds of arrival.
A lemon and vanilla flavoured ice-cream topped with shaved crunchy coconut. Locally made stuff must always be tried and appreciated.
Unsure if this should go under desserts, but often eaten after food. Paan - the gorgeously decorated Betel leaf - mostly consumed in Asia. Paan with chocolate - not a norm. Also called betel quid, an Indian (now Pakistani too) after-dinner treat that consists of a betel leaf filled with chopped betel nut and slaked lime (chuna) and red katha paste. This one had almost 15 ingredients altogether. Never seen an array of condiments on a paan before. This was Naran (in upper Kaghan valley, Mansehra District of KPK), famous for its food and nightlife.
Teas
You can not visit Pakistan, Pakistani household, especially these mountain dwelling people without possibly having at least several cups of tea together. The people of GB prefer a light milky flavoured tea in contrast to the strong doodh patti preferred by the Karachittes. I personally enjoy all sorts of teas, especially herbal ones that are scarcely available in cities.
Enjoy a cup of steaming Kehwa anywhere in the mountains.
Hunza special wild-thyme tea, Tumoro is widely used and quite easily available. One summer I visited Fairy Meadows and collected fresh wild thyme from the deep forest and dried it myself. An interesting tea for non-Gilgitis, who don’t think of thyme as an herb used for tea. In Hunza, it is valued for its medicinal properties: It is said to alleviate headaches, calm nerves and soothe sore throats. I drink it because it just reminds me of the mountains!
Visit the Bozlanj Café – the house of Wakhi / Pamirian cuisine in Gulmit for a freshly brewed cup of Bozlanj. I first heard about this herbal tea in Chipursan and assumed the cafe must have the tea given the name. Always eager to try new teas, the lady was kind enough to brew one mug for me. Bozlanj are green leaves of a natural herb found in the mountains of Hunza. I hesitantly asked her if I could have the dry leaves and she gladly put some in a small bag.
Visit Borith Lake Hotel & Resort, Gojal Hunza for Zahid's famous cup of namkeen chai (salt milk tea). And if you are in Karimabad Hunza, visit The Burger Master’s Baltit Fort Chowk. So far these above mentioned guys serve the best tea in Hunza, my kind of Karachi-tea!
Not an ordinary, average that you are used to. It is much more than simply preparing green or black leaves in hot water. The Balti-Tea (butter tea) pre-brewed green tea contains salt, butter, milk. Served with buckwheat flour or fresh ground wheat flour, and a small dash of pure apricot oil or home-churned butter. Incredibly thick and creamy when you mix a spoon each of the brown flour and the golden apricot oil. I really enjoyed this luxuriant mixture of some of the richest liquid I have ever sipped. This maybe a breakfast replacement too.
Experiencing the local culture and trying traditional food is largely connected with travelling - the cultural experience one needs to witness and live. Often food is a part of a country’s heritage and deeply rooted within the memories of the local people; dishes that have passed onto generations. Also it is the best way to encourage, appreciate and support local communities and keep traditions alive. Everywhere you go, local food is different everywhere so allow yourself to discover something new there is always something new waiting to be discovered. Be adventurous, cleanse your palate with new flavours, experiment and learn to savour your food. Remember to expand and reset your palate next time you travel.
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