New Delhi, October 6: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh’s rich culinary traditions took centre stage at a special banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin and First Lady Caroline Parmelin at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday evening.
The carefully curated menu showcased the distinctive flavours and ingredients of the Himalayan regions, bringing together Kashmiri, Jammu and Ladakhi cuisine. Ingredients including Ladakh’s sea buckthorn, apricot, wild nettle, yak cheese and barley, along with Kashmiri saffron, morels, lotus stem and aromatic spices, featured prominently.
The meal began with Za Thuk, a Ladakhi wild nettle soup prepared with winter peas and roasted millet pearls. The salad course featured Labo-Na Tsonma, combining traditional cheeses from Ladakh and Jammu, including Labo, Chhurpi and Kalari, with dried apple, walnuts and wild capers.
The appetisers highlighted regional street-food traditions, including Kimb Chaat from Jammu and Nadur Kebab with Dooyn Chetin, made with lotus-stem patties seasoned with Kashmiri spices and served with walnut chutney. A Ladakhi preparation, Phorok Nangka, was also part of the spread.
The main course featured celebrated Kashmiri dishes such as Chaman Qaliya, Haakh, Dum Olav and Kana Gucch Pulao, accompanied by Mujj Chatni, Sheermal and Katlam breads.
For dessert, guests were served Shufta, Phirin and Phaymer. The distinctly Ladakhi Phaymer was prepared with roasted barley, jaggery and butter and served with Chura soft cheese.
The banquet concluded with beverages deeply associated with the Himalayan region — Kashmiri Kahwa, flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron; Gur Gur Chai, the traditional Ladakhi butter tea; and wild rose tea.
The menu described the culinary traditions of the Himalayas as reflecting resourcefulness, refinement and respect for seasonal produce, drawing an evocative parallel with the food culture of the Swiss Alps.
