15 Snacks you will find in Nepal - Wandering The World

Most Nepalis don’t eat lunch as we do in the US. But they still get hungry, so most of the time they have a snack ( खाजा [khaajaa] ). Pretty much anything that isn’t dal bhat ( दाल भाट [daal bhaaTh] ) is called a snack. So, I have come up with the most common yummy snacks you can find either in Nepali homes or at the village shops.

Home Snacks

Most Nepalis eat a late breakfast, usually between 9-10 am. And dinner can be anywhere from 7-9 pm. So, a popular time to have a snack break is late afternoon around 3-4 pm depending on what is happening that day.

Milk tea or black tea

tea – I am a teacher and school lets out at 4 pm. So, usually, I will have a snack break once I get home. Even if I don’t eat anything, I will always have tea. If we have enough milk from the morning, I will have milk tea [dudh chiyaa]. If not, I will have black tea [kaalo chiyaa].

But snacks can also be brought out if guests come by. Tea will always be made and if there is time, snacks will be served too. Although people can eat and drink alone, they much prefer to do so with company. Having a snack break with others is definitely an important social connection.

So, what snacks are in the villages of Nepal? Below is a list of snacks that are quite common in a village household.

**pictures package & bowl of chiura, buja, and dalmot**

1. chiura

Chyuraa ( च्यूरा ) is flattened rice that is very popular and inexpensive. It is sold by the kilo, and not in commercial packages. I’ve eaten it dry with a little sugar mixed in but it is best when made wet with either milk (in summer) or milk tea (in winter). Then it kind of reminds me of oatmeal. I’ve also seen people mix this with other snacks like dalmot and chowchow.

2. buja

Buja / Bujyaa ( भुजा / भुजया ) reminds me a lot of Rice Krispies that I grew up with in America. But it is puffed rice. Again, it is best when mixed with milk and sugar. A perfect snack on a hot afternoon.

3. dalmot

Of all the snacks listed here, dalmot ( दालमोट [daalmoTh] ) is the most processed. It is a crunchy spicy mix that looks a lot like party mixes back home. It is eaten dry. Yummy.

You can find all three of these in Indian/Asian grocery stores in the US!

4. biscuits

Biscuits ( बिस्कुट [biskuTh] ) are cookies. It is a British word. I’ve also seen crackers called biscuits, so you can’t always tell from the package. If you want something more like cookies, just ask for sweet biscuits ( गुलियो बिस्कुट [guliyo biskuTh] ). Otherwise, you might get what they call ‘digestive’ biscuits which are okay, but not sweet. The best biscuits I’ve found anywhere in Nepal are a brand called “Tiger Biscuits”. They are sweet chocolate cookies.

5. fruit

Many places will have fruit trees. My host family has banana ( केरा [keraa] ), mango ( आँप [aap] ), and pear ( नाशपाती [naashpaati] ) trees. So, when they are in season, you can get all you can eat. But with no refrigeration, they won’t last long, so eat up. Pears here in Nepal are Japanese pears that are different than what is found in the US. But they are still very tasty – they are eaten more like apples and even have an apple-like texture.

Japanese/Asian pear — **Japanese / Asian Pear**

A lot of fruit is grown in the Terai region of Nepal and is also imported from India. So, you can usually get other fruits like grapes ( अंगूर [angur] ) and apples ( स्याउ [syaau] ) at the village shops.

Prepared / Cooked Snacks

Of the snacks that need some preparation, it is still no trouble to whip something up when it is snack time. Some of these are easy to prepare at home with a few ingredients. Others are more suited to a shop or vendor.

6. chow-chow

You can get Ramen noodles at the shops but it is so easy and cheap, most people eat it at home. You might add some minced onion ( प्याज [pyaaj] ) or chili peppers ( खुर्सानी [khursaani] ). The kids like to eat the noodles uncooked right out of the package. It is a nice snack on those colder winter days. And you can make it more substantial by adding some chyuraa.

7. chatpate

Chatpate ( चटपटे [chaThpaThe] ) is a big favorite with students, and adults too. It is a mixture of puffed rice, dry instant noodles, chopped boiled potato, diced onions, and seasonings such as salt, pepper, diced chili, and lemon juice. Most vendors load up a piece of newspaper and the customer uses squares of cardboard as a spoon.

8. pani puri

Another favorite but not as easy to find is panipuri ( पानी पुरी [paani puri} ). A mixture much like chatpate is spooned into a crunchy shell. But the part that makes it different is there is a super spicy liquid that you pour into the shell before eating. No other way to do it but put the whole thing in your mouth. The sauce is what makes or breaks the panipuri. Different vendors have different recipes. So, shop around to see if you can find the best panipuri.

9. anda-chyura

Anda-chyura ( अण्डा च्यूरा [aNDhaa chyuraa] ) is fried flattened rice with an egg mixed in. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this but it is really good, especially if you get friend egg ( अण्डा [aNDhaa] ) mixed it. They mix it with onions, peanuts, and chili peppers. I like it because, with the egg, I can get more protein into my diet. You can get it without the egg too but why would you want to?

10. chow-min

Chow-main ( चाउमिन [chaaumin] ) is a very popular lunchtime snack for both adults and students. In the village, you can usually get both veg(etable) or chicken chow-main. The spaghetti noodles are fried and mixed with soy sauce. I find the noodles still a bit dry, so most shops also have a kind of ketchup you can put on top too.

11. thukpa

Thukpa ( थुक्पा [thukpaa] ) is a noodle soup that originated in Tibet. But here in Nepal, instead of homemade noodles, shops use spaghetti noodles. The soup has vegetables like carrots and onions. Depending on the shop, you might also be able to get it with chicken.

Seasonal Snacks

12. popcorn

Popcorn seems to be a seasonal snack. The traditional way is to cook them dry (no oil) in a pot stirring with a bunch of sticks. But lately, I have seen my host sister cook them in oil like we usually do in the US.

13. corn

Roasted corn / maize ( मकै [makai] ) is also a season snack around July-August. That is because they can lay them on the fire to cook them. Not like the sweet corn we have in America but still good and filling. One note, most Nepali pull the kernels off the cob to eat them. They always laugh when they see me eating directly off the cob. “You eat like a monkey!” they say.

So, what snacks are you going to taste?

This list should be most of what you can find in the villages. But you will find this and a lot more from the street vendors in the bigger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara. And remember that snack time is also about community. You share food and conversation with your family, friends, and neighbors. So, get out, explore and try a few snacks to hold you over till dinner.