I’ve hiked the Himalayas and I’ve dived in Malaysian waters, but the Momo cooking course in Nepal remains one of the most fun activities I’ve done while traveling.

Sometimes we travel to escape the hustle and bustle of the daily rat race; sometimes it’s to embark on an exhilarating adventure, and sometimes it’s just to experience a culture different from our own. I love discovering new cultures. I enjoy meeting new people, learning about different ways of life, and closest to my heart: food. Eating is definitely one of my favorite things about being on the road. An ethnic dish is always better when prepared by a native in their own country. Nepal is no exception.

In every culture, food has a way of bringing people together. Whether it is families gathering around the dinner table or strangers cramming in side by side at a local lunch spot, food is a language everyone can speak. Even just sitting in a restaurant observing the comings and goings of the other patrons while slurping some dal bhat is enough to incite that feeling of inclusion, of togetherness. It’s the explosion of taste, but also the flavor of culture that I relish.

Not unlike the Very Hungry Caterpillar, I ate my way across Asia. I never had a disappointing meal, but by far the best food I ate was in Nepal. In Kathmandu, an ad for a cooking course drew me into a tour agency. For just ten dollars, I spent an entire afternoon learning how to make momos, Nepali/Tibetan dumplings.

The class began by visiting a market to purchase the necessary ingredients. Then the three of us were walked through each step in the momo-making process. We made the dough, minced the vegetables, and perfected the technique of rolling the dumplings into half-moon crescents. Some were certainly prettier than others (mine were on the uglier, misshapen side!)

After making the momos came the best part: consuming them! We dipped them in a homemade peanut sauce and enjoyed them with the instructor and some other locals. I’ve hiked the Himalayas and I’ve dived in Malaysian waters, but the Momo cooking course in Nepal remains one of the most fun activities I’ve done while traveling.

For details about the activity please contact Royal Mountain Travel

Article by Maggie Dickman.