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Jalori Village Food Tour: 24 hours with a local Himachali Family.

In our remarkable journey across the captivating landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, we were fortunate enough to discover the beautiful village named Jalori situated in the Kullu district. Here we were visiting our gracious host Sanjay ji and his lovely family at their home stay namely the Apple Village Homestay, where we were spending the day.

This place is famous for its lush green rugged terrain dotted with fruit orchards, especially apples and dense pine tree stretches. After a long drive through the winding highway, we were now up for some thrill so we tried offroading. The drive through these less frequented uneven mountain trails was bumpy yet fun.

Next was the turn to scramble up the green trails of the elevated landscape. Sanjay ji lead us through bushy pathways up to his apple orchards that surrounded his home, which doubles up as a lovely homestay for discerning travelers. We were glad to witness such a bounty of organically grown apples all around us. We were also inspired to discover how ecologically aware people like Sanjay are growing apples and other fruits sustainably without the use of harsh fertilizers and sprays. This is a laudable effort in times when the world is slowly waking up to the harmful effects of fertilizers.

On reaching our destination, we were warmly received by his genial and enthusiastic family. We were excited to spend the day exploring the native food traditions with them. We started this culinary sojourn overseeing the meal preparations at the kitchen. Some local delicacies were being prepared by Sanjay ji’s mother and wife. The feast included Siddu, Indra, Sigdu, Vada, Rajma, Lingad ki Sabzi, labode ki chutney and steamed local rice named Nawari Nut. Of these, we were truly impressed by the Siddu, the Rajma which was just scrumptious and Indra or steamed horse gram pulse cake. Siddu is a staple delicacy of this region that is best relished with ghee.

 

 

As we sat down to eat, Sanjay ji and rest of the family members eagerly introduced us to each and every dish and its components. Knowing about the ingredients, in a little more depth, enhanced the whole eating experience. Not only were we contented and grateful for the delicious meal but could clearly feel the distinct bliss of eating naturally grown local produce. No wonder, the health benefits derived from these cogent food traditions intrinsic to the local communities makes them stay rooted to such wisdom.

After the food we went for a stroll across the property and landed up at a mud house or old structures built of natural stuffs like wood, mud etc. Such structure were common in this area though they were largely used by earlier generation. The interiors of these indigenous rooms stayed warm in winter and cool in summer.

 

 

In the evening we tried the Namkeen Chai prepared by Sanjay’s mother. It’s essentially a health giving beverage that is prepared by boiling pieces of bark from a local tree along with milk, carom seeds, butter and salt. There was no tea leaves in it. The next morning we had a comforting breakfast of fresh Rotis with Atte ka Halwa. This humble yet surreal breakfast was no less than a magical outcome of the convergence of fresh and natural ingredients, masterly hands and keen awareness of traditional wisdom about food. For the first time we had a Halwa that was tempered with carom seeds that was used to make it easily digestible.

 

Soon it was time to bid adieu to the gracious family whose simplicity, enthusiasm, hospitality and warmth will always be etched in our memories. We bid them goodbye with the silent promise to be back again. Heartfelt gratitude to Sanjay for such wonderful hospitality.

 

 

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A DAY OUT IN FAGU, SHIMLA

 

 

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.

A scrumptious spread of local delicacies.

 

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.