Every tourist who visits Spiti Valley thinks only about the tourist attractions and adventure activities available there. What many tourists don’t know is that the food and drinks in Spiti Valley are incredibly delicious and full of energy. The food found in Spiti Valley, often referred to as a cold desert, is highly nutritious—a fact that very few tourists are aware of.
So, through this guide on “Food and Drink in Spiti Valley,” we will tell you what to eat and drink during your Spiti Valley trip. If you don’t try the food and drinks we recommend, your Spiti Valley trip will be considered incomplete. This guide will help you discover the best food and drink in Spiti Valley, including local favorites and traditional dishes.
Food and Drink in Spiti Valley: Local Dishes You Must Try
Below, we will briefly tell you about the traditional food and drinks of Spiti Valley and also explain why the food and drinks we mention are so popular there.
1) Thukpa – The Most Famous Dish of Spiti Valley
When it comes to the most famous food and drinks of Spiti Valley, Thukpa is always at the top of the list. It is a hot noodle soup that is incredibly delicious and popular. Vegetarians make this soup with vegetables, while non-vegetarians make it with meat.
This soup is delicious because it incorporates the flavors of Himachali spices. Located at a high altitude in Spiti Valley, this soup is very healthy and something you should definitely try. According to some tourists, just drinking this soup will fill you up.
Why is Thukpa so popular in Spiti Valley?
- This soup is very healthy and nutritious. Rich in energy, it keeps your body warm during the cold season.
- Spiti Valley is a high-altitude hill station, and digesting food at such altitudes is very difficult. This soup is popular in Spiti Valley because it is easily digestible.
- In places like Spiti Valley, food and drinks are very limited, but this soup is readily available in almost every café and homestay.
2. Momos – The Favorite Himalayan Snack
Whenever you visit any of the high-altitude hill stations in the Himalayas, there’s one dish you’re sure to find: momos. Momos are incredibly delicious and enjoyable. While you can eat momos anytime, the locals believe that the best time to enjoy them is in the evening in the Himalayan hills, when the temperature drops and the weather is crisp and cold.
Momos filled with vegetables are called vegetarian momos, while those filled with meat are called non-vegetarian momos. To enhance the flavor of momos, you should eat them with spicy chutney.
Best places to try momos in Spiti Valley:
- The momos at Kaza Cafe in Spiti Valley are very famous. So, if you want to taste authentic Spiti Valley momos, you can visit Kaza Cafe, where you’ll find many other delicious dishes besides momos.
- You should also try momos at local eateries in Spiti Valley that serve traditional food; they are incredibly delicious.
- If you’re staying in a homestay, you’ll easily find momos there, without a doubt.
This is one of the local foods that make food and drink in Spiti Valley so special.
3) Skew and Tsampa: Traditional and Staple Foods of Spiti
Skew, a traditional and famous dish of Spiti, is a must-try during your trip. It is incredibly delicious and satisfying. When the dough pieces are cooked with vegetables, it’s called vegetarian skew, but when they are cooked with meat, it’s called non-vegetarian skew. Skew is very filling because of its thick consistency. The locals of Spiti Valley consider it comfort food.
If you enjoy trying traditional Spiti Valley cuisine, then Skew is the perfect dish for you. However, if you want to try the staple food of Spiti Valley—the one that locals eat every day—then Tsampa is the best option. Made from roasted barley flour, Tsampa is very tasty and enjoyable.
If you want to try Tsampa, you can have it with butter tea. You might not like the taste of Tsampa, but you should know that the locals living in high-altitude hill stations like Spiti Valley consume Tsampa as their main source of energy. These traditional dishes highlight why food and drink in Spiti Valley is so unique and nutritious. You can read more about the traditional foods of Himachal Pradesh : Click Here
4) Butter Tea (Gur Gur Chai)
The name “Butter tea” might sound strange to you, right? But did you know that this is the most popular drink in the Himalayan Mountain regions, and locals drink it every day? If you visit Spiti Valley, you must try butter tea; otherwise, your trip to Spiti Valley will be considered incomplete.
You might find the taste of butter tea very unusual or not like it at all, but it is very beneficial in the high-altitude, freezing-cold regions of the Himalayas, like Spiti Valley. For your information, butter tea is made by mixing tea leaves, yak butter, and salt with water.
Benefits of Butter Tea:
- Tourists often experience dehydration at high-altitude hill stations like Spiti Valley. Butter tea protects us from dehydration, which is why locals in Spiti Valley and most tourists who visit there drink it.
- The biggest benefit of drinking butter tea is that it keeps our bodies warm and protects us from illnesses that are common at high-altitude, cold hill stations like Spiti Valley.
Food Tips for Travelers Visiting Spiti Valley:
- In high-altitude hill stations like Spiti Valley, you should never eat oily and spicy food, as it can easily upset your stomach.
- When you’re on a trip to Spiti Valley, eat only light, easily digestible food for the first couple of days. No matter how much you enjoy food, never overeat during your Spiti Valley trip; otherwise, you might experience vomiting.
- During the trip, you should drink plenty of water and avoid packaged foods altogether. In high-altitude hill stations like Spiti Valley, you should only eat local food that will provide your body with the necessary energy.
Including these tips ensures that travelers enjoy food and drink in Spiti Valley safely and healthily.
Final Thoughts:
There are many other local food and drink options in Spiti Valley, such as chang (local beer), salt tea, and herbal tea, which you should definitely try during your trip. We’ve told you about the main and most popular food and drink in Spiti Valley, which will be very helpful during your trip
Please share your food and drink experiences in Spiti Valley with us in the comments so that other tourists can also know what to eat and drink there.
