What to eat: juju dhau, bara, yomari and the Newar feast

Newar food is one of the great cuisines of the Himalaya: rich in spices, pulses, rice in many forms, buffalo meat, fermented foods and festival sweets. Bhaktapur and Thimi are among the best places to taste it, and many dishes are tied to particular festivals and seasons.

Juju dhau, the king of curds

Juju dhau literally means king curd, and Bhaktapur's version is famous throughout Nepal. Buffalo or cow milk is boiled slowly for hours until thick and creamy, sweetened, and then poured into clay bowls called kataaa made by local potters. The bowls are kept warm while the curd sets. The clay absorbs excess water, leaving a firm, rich, slightly caramel-flavoured curd with a golden skin on top. Buy it from any curd shop in Bhaktapur, especially around Durbar Square and Taumadhi, and eat it straight from the clay bowl.

Bara (wo)

Bara, called wo in Nepal Bhasa, is a savoury pancake made from ground black lentils, sometimes topped with an egg or minced meat. It is crisp at the edges and soft in the middle. Bara is an essential offering in many rituals and a favourite street snack; small eateries in Thimi and Bhaktapur fry them fresh on flat pans.

Chatamari

Sometimes called the Newar pizza, chatamari is a thin rice-flour crepe cooked on a griddle and topped with minced meat, egg, onion and spices. It is lighter than bara and is best eaten hot.

Kwati

Kwati is a thick soup of nine kinds of sprouted beans, traditionally eaten on Janai Purnima (Gunhu Punhi) in the monsoon. It is believed to warm the body and cure colds during the wet season. Many restaurants serve it year round.

Yomari

Yomari are steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with chaku (molasses and sesame) or khuwa (sweet milk solids), made especially for Yomari Punhi in December. See the festival page for more.

Samay baji

The ceremonial Newar plate, samay baji, is served at festivals and rituals. It typically includes baji (beaten rice), spiced buffalo meat (choila), boiled egg, black soybeans, ginger, fried fish or meat, potatoes, greens and pickles, often with a small cup of aila or thwon. Each element has symbolic meaning, and the plate is offered to the gods before it is eaten.

Aila and thwon

Aila is a strong spirit distilled from rice or millet, poured from a height into small clay cups during feasts. Thwon is a milky, mildly alcoholic rice beer. Both are important in Newar rituals; drink carefully, as aila is very strong.

Where to eat

In Bhaktapur, small family-run eateries in the lanes around Taumadhi and Durbar Square serve bara, chatamari and samay baji at modest prices. Rooftop cafés offer views along with Nepali and international food. In Thimi and Sanothimi, look for small Newar khaja ghar (snack houses) near the old town and around the Araniko Highway junctions. Ask locals where they eat — the best places are often unsigned.

Vegetarians

Many Newar dishes contain buffalo meat, but vegetarians can enjoy bara without meat topping, beaten rice with vegetables, kwati, yomari, juju dhau and many pickles. Say ma sakahari hun (I am vegetarian) or ask for dishes without meat.