MOMO
One cannot visit Nepal without enjoying several plates of Momo. No. One cannot, and one should not. Visiting Nepal without sampling Momo is like returning from the beach without dipping your feet, then your entire body, into the ocean. It is just not done.
Momo is arguably the most popular dish among the Nepalese folks. It is a dish that can make the entire nation literally salivate at its mere thought. Here are several reasons why:
First, it is simple to prepare. Momo is essentially a type of steamed bun. The doughy exterior is made by mixing flour and water together. The filling is usually a mixture of ground/minced meat, spices and vegetables. Put the two together and voila you have MOMO!
Second, Momo is a fairly experimental and practical dish. There are no fixed ingredients, which means people from all over the world can pick and mix accordingly to the local produce available to them. Consequently, ever since the Newar merchants brought the recipe and the name 'Momo' from Tibet, its native land, to Nepal and modified the type of meat and seasoning of the dish with local ingredients, a variety of Momos have been improvised to suit the taste buds of even the most pickiest of all eaters.
Some of the most popular types of Momo's are:
Steamed Momo
Kothey Momo: half steamed, half fried
C-Momo, otherwise known as Chilli Momo (the name should give away the modified ingredients):
Fried Momo (either deep fried, or steamed first then fried):
Jhol Momo (jhol meaning a thick soupy base, usually spicy):
Open Momo (perfect to mix and match your chutney/sauce/condiments by filling in each open pocket with something different)
Buckwheat Momo (for the health conscious)
Paneer/Cheese Momo (vegetarian option, or you can just make a vegetarian filling)
Green Momo (the dough is mixed with spinach - for those who prefer to be deceived whilst consuming their greens)
The choices are endless. Therefore, if you ever find yourself making Momo at home, feel free to personalize. If you want to add eggs into the mixture, add it! Hot banana ketchup or a Samphire, add it! The world of Momo does not discriminate.
But won't too much experimenting (adding Marmite for example) spoil the broth? Good question. And the answer is: it might, especially if you add Marmite (but you never know until you try). Nevertheless, the appeal of Momo is more than just its taste (which is just heavenly by the way). For many, especially Nepali people who have grown up alongside the dish, Momo is also a food of habit, of memory, and somewhat of a legacy passed down from one generation to another (like what Kimchi is to the South Koreans).
Correspondingly, the third reason Momo is a national favourite can be pinned down to its level of availability. Wander through the streets of any part of Nepal and you are bound to come across a little cafe, a restaurant, or a make-shift little stand selling Momo. Wander into the houses and one out of five houses will surely be either making Momo, or will have frozen Momo in their fridges. Momo in Nepal is as routine as brushing your teeth. Often ordering Momo at a cafe or a restaurant will be automatic; it is a food you order guided by your instinct rather than by thought.
Making Momo is also, although slightly lengthy, a family and friendship affair. Because the process is so simple, it is common for families and friendship groups to gather together and spend half the day catching up and reminiscing whilst making Momo.
It is the best comfort food, but it is also the best party food; the best food to have when it's raining; when the sun is out; when your mood is low; when you are craving but you don't know what for. Momo's rate of satisfaction is so high (the taste, the taste is just to die for) that even when you know what you're craving, if offered Momo, you will opt for Momo.
It is this versatile and accommodating element that makes Momo popular, and also the fourth and final reason in this attempt to explain why Momo is a national favorite. Momo is not just a food you eat. All the moments you spend in between, whether with your friends or your family, whether you are spending a whole day catching up or meeting for a quick bite, is a memory. All the conversations and the laughter make up the Momo experience. And if it's a good memory, which it usually is if Momo is involved, then it is only natural for us to want to replicate and re-live the memory again, and again, and again - individually and nationwide.
Do we live to eat, or eat to live? Why not try some Momo today and find out one of the many pleasures of being alive.
Written by Dina Rai.