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Bhutan
- Ethnic Groups & People |
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Bhutan People Food |
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Bhutan Information |
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Bhutanese
food: Steaming business
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Bina busy at work
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originated in China, is considered a Bhutanese delicacy, but the the momo
hawkers in Jaigaon have the trick to mint money from the steamed minced
vegetables covered in dough.
They
do not run from street to street or from house to house. They tempt, they
attract, they lure their customers and they know Bhutanese cannot resist
it. |
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Just
as the sun goes down and the mercury starts dropping, the busy Jaigaon
street is dotted with stalls set with big steaming Muktos (steamers) containing
mouth watering momos.
As
customers, mostly Bhutanese, pass by the stalls the hawkers lift the lid
of the Mukto sending out a whiff of momos to catch the attention of the
passerby.
And
it works.
Despite
the crowd, the pollution and sometimes even the stench from the clogged
drains, Bhutanese can be seen circling various vendor's table, dipping
the momos in sauce and munching, unaffected by the surrounding.
"I
cannot resist the smell of momos,"says a customer. "They are hot, cheap
and filling."
The
momos are small, a little less than a mouthful, but they are steaming hot
and cost only Nu.5 for a plate, which is about Nu. 15 to Nu. 25 cheaper
compared to those sold in Phuentsholing. "It makes a good meal when you
are in a hurry,"says a shopper.
The
hawkers know that Bhutanese customers are inquisitive if the momos are
made from meat and therefore, most sell vegetable momos while some sell
cheese momos.
"I
always come here to eat momos,"says Kezang, a corporate employee. "I don't
know if they have some secret ingredients but it does taste a lot better
there,"she said.
While
different people had their own favourite spots and vendors, the most popular
momo stall is located under a staircase of a building near the Mukherjee
center. The vegetable momos at this stall are slightly expensive with only
five pieces for Nu. 5.
The
owner of the stall, Bina and her assistant prepares the snack at the stall.
The customers are provided with a set of benches to sit on.
Sometimes
Bina gets around 100 customers in a day, of which most are Bhutanese.
Five
years in the business and Bina knows that there are people looking for
momos right from morning till late in the evening. Bina works from 7 am
in the morning to 9 pm in the evening.
As
long as you don't mind onion breath, there are momos in Jaigaon, cheap,
hot and fresh.
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| This
article was contributed by Kinley Wang, Kuensel, Bhutan's National Newspaper,
2007 |
| Information on Bhutan |
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