Fagu, a picturesque village in the district of Shimla is a perfect getaway for the nature lovers who enjoy verdant and misty hills, uneven valleys and tranquil views. This little gem instantly attracts you to its lap. We were visiting this stunning village for a day and were eager to explore the culture and food here. At Fagu we had stay put at this beautiful camp called Camp Nomad. The team at here was all set to give us a taste of the authentic local experience through different activities. So it’s here at the we got to taste the authentic local spread prepared by this amazing lady Yogi ji and her enthusiastic team. So come and join us for this cultural and culinary joyride at Fagu.
Before sitting down to eat the elaborate lunch we went to the kitchen space to oversee the local meal preparation. It was a totally busy work space. Here we spoke to the chefs from the village who were supervising the whole process. They told us about the different traditional delicacies with great eagerness.
Then it was time to check out the preparation of some of the dishes from the menu. First was the Siddu the quintessential bread from Himachal Pradesh. This traditional stuffed bread with sweet or savoury stuffings is made from leavened whole wheat flour dough. Yogi ji informed us that traditionally, in the making of Siddu, a small portion of 2 to 3 days old fermented dough was used. This helped in the fermentation of the dough-a very essential step. But now a days they use yeast for the process. These dough balls were steamed in a steamer. They are either eaten with ghee or with different curries and dal. One thing that we tried for the first time was the Bhang ke pakode had a distinctive flavour to it.
At lunchtime we all came together to eat the scrumptious meal prepared by Yogi ji and team. It included Rajma ki Sabzi, Meethi dal, Kadhi pakode, Lushke, Bhang ke pakode, sepu vadi, channe ka khatta, siddu etc. After that hearty meal we all gathered for Nati-Himachali folk Dance- dance performance with all the visitors and the locals who were present at the camp. It was a joyous experience to match steps to the melodious rendition of a local song.
After all the fun activities, we went out to explore the hamlet with our vivacious host Yogi ji. First we went to Desu Mata temple where we spent some time with the genial head priest and learnt about the history of the temple. From there we went to meet the legendary mountaineer and technical advisor, Sri Baldev ji who have scaled the Everest and had assisted many expeditions.
After exploring the neighbourhood of Fagu with Yogi ji, we returned to the camp and got ready for the dinner. Yogi ji whipped up a simple local meal of Lushke and Lingdu, a side dish made with Fiddlehead greens. After the elaborate lunch this humble dinner was truly satisfying.
We are truly grateful to all our amazing hosts- Savitoj, Yogi Ji and the team at Camp Nomad for such a wonderful experience at Fagu.
