Famous Food of Sikkim : From Phagshapa to Niguru

In this blog, we’ll take you on a culinary journey through Sikkim’s famous food, highlighting the must-try dishes that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more.

The food of Sikkim is an amalgamation of indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques, creating a delightful range of flavours and textures. From spicy stews to steamed dumplings, Sikkim’s cuisine has something for everyone.

Whether you’re a foodie looking for a new adventure or simply curious about the cuisine of Sikkim, read on to discover the delicious secrets of this beautiful state.

the state of Sikkim boasts of a unique and diverse cuisine influenced by its neighbouring countries, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal.

List of Famous food of Sikkim

Sikkim cuisine provides many mouthwatering & delicious food ranges. Here we have listed 19 famous food of Sikkim, Most of the dishes are easily available in local restaurants or eateries.

1. Phagshapa

This is a pork dish, one of the famous food in Sikkim. Radish & red chillies are used to prepare the pork fat. Most famous pork dish in Sikkim. With some vegetables, this dish is prepared with No oil. You will find this dish spicy & a little tangy in flavour.

2. Dhindo

Another dish from Nepal cuisine. Dhindo dish is made of buckwheat, ground millet, or cornflour. When we cooked it with boiling water, it formed a sticky Paste.

Small Balls are made with paste & these Balls are dipped into soup or chutney. It is a famous food of Sikkim.

3. Kinema

Kinema is Sikkim food prepared from Soya beans. As you know, Soya beans are a great source of protein, so this dish too. These beans are boiled than fermented.

This curry dish is prepared with turmeric powder, onion, and other spices. This is one of the unique soya dishes.

4. Gundruk & Sinki

Gundruk & Sinki is a fermented dish. It works as a food appetizer. Gundruk is prepared with leafy vegetables. Then dried in the sun & packed in the jar. Fermentation starts after 2-3 days. In the case of Sinki instead of leaf vegetable reddish, cauliflower is used.

6. Sha Phaley

Sha Phlaey Popular Sikkim food is from Tibetan cuisine. This dish is made with beef. This is Cooked with Ground beef, vegetable & spices stuffed in bread or pastry. Semi-circle in shape deep-fried, the dish is quite popular in Sikkim.

7. Gya Kho

It is also Popularly Known as a chimney soup. The reason is that this food is served in a chimney-shaped bowl. This mouth-licking Non-veg soup is prepared with Meat & vegetables. This is also Tibetan food.

8. Thenthuk

Are you fond of Non-Vegetarian Noodle soup? This is for you. Made with vegetable wheat flour & meat. It served as dinner in Sikkim. Spicy in taste is easily available in any restaurant in Sikkim. This dish is inspired by Tibetan cuisine. Tibetan & Nepal cuisine has a higher influence on Sikkim food and culture.

9. Sael Roti

Sael Roti is popular fried in Sikkim, Nepal & Tibetan. Roti paste is prepared with rice & water. Then it is deep-fried. This dish gives you new flavour to your taste buds.

10. Makai Ka Jaanr:

Makaio Ka Jaanr is a Homemade Alcoholic Beer from Sikkim. This Beer is Made with the Fermentation of Rice. This beer is not Distillate. Distillation is Done for Strong Alcoholic Beer.

This Local beer is Made with Makai (Corn). A Special Kind of Yeast that is available in Local forests is used for fermentation. This local yeast in Sikkim is called Marcha. Organic Beer is very popular in the local market.

The shelf life of this Beer is not very long. This beer is not officially allowed to sell in the market. you will find other variations in this Beer. “Kodo ka Jaanr” is Made of Finger Millet and “Bhati ka Janr” prepared with “Rice” and another one is the “Gehun ka jaanr” made of “Wheat”.

Alcoholic beverage is used when people socialize with near one and dear one.

11. Masauyra Curry

One of the most popular Curry dishes from Sikkim Cuisine. This food is also very popular in Nepal. Mostly consumed by the Newar of the Nepalis. This is quite similar to Punjabi wari / Wadi.

The Main Ingredient that makes this dish special & delicious is Fermented Black gram. Food is Made with Fermented black Gram and Some other spices. Black gram is also known as Urad dal. This food is eaten with hot steamed rice.

12. Kodo ki Roti

Kodo is finger millet. That is very popular in Sikkim Food culture. It is also a famous recipe in Nepal. A Sweet Roti is Prepared with the Finger Millet Flour. Sugar is used for sweetness. People eat this Roti or Flat Bread with Various Kind of Pickles or Tomato Chutney. Applying Ghee to this Roti Makes it more delicious. Kodo is also Known as Raagi. Raagi is also consumed in South India.

13. Shimi Ka Achar

Achar is a Hindi word for Pickle and Shimi is a string bean or Green bean. A special Pickle of Beans from Sikkim cuisine. This dish is the famous food of Sikkim. Achar is prepared with Shimi and Other spices. After cutting the beans into small pieces and boiling,

A paste of Sesame seeds is used in this pickle with green chillies and other spices. This Pickle is very common in regular food habits in Sikkim. But it gives you an amazing taste with the combination of sael roti.

14. Khuri

Khuri is the traditional dish of Sikkim. This authentic dish is made with buckwheat crêpes with Vegetables or meat. This Food is Mostly Popular in Lepcha Community. It is one of the healthiest food in Sikkim Cuisine. It is prepared with buckwheat and millet flour.

Khuri is a Crêpe having the stuff of leafy mustard, Local cottage cheese, and other local spices or herbs. Khuri is eaten with a special kind of sauce. This spicy sauce is made with cherry pepper and ground walnuts /perilla.

15. Dal Bhaat

Dal Bhaat is Very simple in Sikkim, but people are very fond of this food in the state. Dal is Lentil’s curry and Bhat is steamed rice. This food is eaten in almost every home in India.

Indian main course meal for lunch and Dinner includes Dal, Bhat, Roti (Flatbread), and Sabzi (Cooked Vegetables). Lentil’s soup is cooked in a pressure cooker with Indian spices like turmeric etc. Bhat is simple steamed rice. If you want to eat light but energetic food.

Dal Bhaat is one of the best dishes. It is Indian Vegan food. Dal is a great source of Protein. The addition of Ghee makes this food more delicious & tastier.

16. Chhurpi Soup

This is a traditional food of Sikkim. It is prepared with a special kind of Cottage Cheese that is Known as Chhurpi. Chhurpi is Locally made cheese, Made of Milk of cow or Yalk.

This cheese is very popular in Sikkim, Ladakh, Nepal, and Tibet. Chhurpi cheese is a bit different in taste and texture as compared to Normal Cheese available in the market.

This white, unique cheese is a little sour in taste. Chhurpi soup is quick and very easy to make. Onion is golden fried with Paanch Phoran masala. Other ingredients are Tomatoes, ginger, and salt and a Special ingredient of the dish Chhurpi is added later on. This Soup is served hot with Steamed Rice.

17. Sikkim Tea

If you are a tea lover, you must try Sikkim Tea. Hope you know Sikkim is one of the states of the country where tea farming is done.

Sikkim’s tea is popular in the tea industry for its Kind variety of Tea. Tea grown in Sikkim is Popularly named Sikkim Tea. It is organic tea and sold in the market as “Tami tea”. After Darjeeling tea, Sikkim tea is about to get a GI tag.

18. Niguru With Churpi

Another dish is based on the Chhurpi. This is a Famous household dish in Sikkim. Very simple and easy to cook the dish. Chhurpi (local Cottage cheese) is prepared with Niguru. Niguru is a Kind of fiddle fern. Which is found in Jungle. To enjoy this food you have to visit any local household.

19. Wachipa

Wahcipa is a Unique dish from Sikkim cuisine. This food is available in Both Veg and Non-veg Variation. The non-veg version of this dish food is made of rice, chicken minced, and Powder of Burnt feathers Chicken. You will find bitterness in the taste. Similarly, the Veg version of This dish is made of Special flowers. Those flowers belong to Plant Damlapa.

Read More: Famous food of Manipur

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Source :

1. Sikkim Cuisine
2. Sikkim Food