After viewing “The Road Home”, provided by the CULTURS club here at Colorado State University, I decided to spotlight some of the traditional and modern cuisine in and around the Himalayas. During this movie, a TCK named Pico struggles with hidden diversity by being raised in Britain but looking Indian. At one point in the movie, Pico tries Indian food and is extremely surprised and taken back by the complexities of the flavors. The food is too spicy for Pico and he does not want to be associated with anything Indian.
Himalayan or Nepalese food is complex and satisfying. The use of lentils and rice are the bases for almost every meal. Some of the main ingredients include bamboo shoots, lamb, goat, and dumplings. The ‘Momo’ is a steamed flour dumpling that can be filled with any meat or vegetable. These are a popular local snack and can be served plain or in flavorful broths. Paratha, which quite actually means layers of cooked dough, is a Himalayan flatbread, which can be eaten plain or stuffed with meats or a spicy potato mix.
One of the surprising delicacies is Hard Dried Yak Cheese, which is a Himalayan Candy. These long lasting lollipop types of candy are formed from the whey squeezed from the Yak milk and then hung out to dry and harden. These candies are notorious for being Nepal’s jawbreaker candy. Don’t try to bite down!
Find more about the film “The Road Home” here at roadhomefilm.com
After watching the movie “The Road Home” i thought Pico was an interesting character to watch. When further looking into how food can have a greater impact on self identity in this article, it shows that many aspects can play into ones identity, plus the food looks like something i may need to try!