KASHMIRI CUISINES
Jammu & Kashmir boasts being flavoursome and diverse. The union territory with its variety of dishes makes it an excellent destination for culinary tourism and attracts food lovers from around the world. The food of Jammu & Kashmir can be divided into two- Jammu Cuisine and Kashmiri Cuisine; each of which is unique in its own way. The Kashmiri food is further categorized into two – Kashmiri Pandits/Brahmins Cuisine and Kashmiri Muslim Cuisines. While the Pandits use generous quantities of curd along with asafoetida and ginger in their food, Muslims use all these ingredients in liberal amounts for food preparations along with ginger and garlic. However, one can find some commonality between the cuisine of the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
The beautiful valley of Kashmir reflects a rich influence of Persian, Central Asian and Afghan food in its cuisine. In Kashmiri cuisine, spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves are used, making the food delectable and aromatic. The highlight of Kashmiri cuisine is Wazwan, a collection of 32 veg and non-veg dishes. Wazwan is considered a mandate in every celebration, be it weddings or any other significant events. Some of the important dishes in Kashmir are Tabakhmaaz, Shab Deg, Dum Olav/Dum Aloo, Aab Gosh, Goshtaba, Lyader Tschaman, Runwagan Tschaman, Riste, Nader ti Gaad, Herath, Novroze, Yakhni, and the widely acclaimed Rogan Josh. The valley is also famous for its bakery tradition, and thus you can find here various kinds of bread. Tsot and tsochvor, sheermal, baqerkhayn (puff pastry), lavas (unleavened bread) and kulcha are some popular bakery items in Kashmir. The locals of Kashmiri are also fond of tea; hence, Kahwa and Noon chai/Sheer Chai comes into the picture.
