Join us to follow the food stories of eight different communities across four districts. From the foraging trails of Gorkha to the blazing hearths of Lamjung, we bring you tubers (Naki) and Bamboo Shoot Curry (Mado Tha). Discover the seasonal food and more, foraged by indigenous women who keep these traditions alive.
Natural Roots Foundation is engaged in documenting and archiving the rich food heritage of Nepal. In 2024, we conceived the project ‘Preserving the indigenous food heritage of Nepal’ in order to safeguard the many food traditions in the highlands of Nepal that face challenges due to climate change and cultural pressures. For this, eight villages were identified in Mustang, Lamjung, Manang and Gorkha where the impact of climate change is especially strong. In these communities we focused specifically on women as the custodians of indigenous food heritage. We consulted the already established women’s groups (Aama Samuha) to hear their concerns and document their expert knowledge in foraging, cultivating, and cooking locally sourced food. We were able to record a wealth of recipes and food traditions, which we documented both in written and visual form.
In early September 2024, after completing our food heritage consultation with the Thakali women’s group in Mustang, we left for Majgaun in Lamjung. A couple of hours drive across the Marsyandi Khola, Majgaun is located on a hilltop that opens to an expansive view of the Lamjung. The women’s group (Aama samuha) is actively engaged in community development, in fact, they are well known in the wider community as the most successful women’s group. The picture taken is from our consultation on the last day after spending nearly a week documenting the food traditions and recipes with the group.
Women in Nepal continue to play a prominent role in the food production process from cultivation, preparation of food, rearing livestock, to all other traditional roles. In the trans-Himalayan region and the high hills of Western Nepal, where this research was carried out, women from the indigenous Thakali and the Gurungs have been practising innovative food techniques that are of long-lasting value.
Find out more about the custodian institutions and groups that we worked closely with as part of our research process.
Kobang, a Thakali village in the Kali Gandaki Valley, features ancient caves, traditional stone houses, and a mukhiya-led social system. The Thakali people, known for their hospitality and cuisine, grow buckwheat, apples, and walnuts while foraging rhubarb and mushrooms.
Devisthan Aama Samuha in Kobang was formed in 2009 (VS 2066). Since its formation, the group has been providing various services to the people in the village. One example of their services includes lending support to the families and households in the village who do not have the space for performing social functions such as funeral rites and so on. During such events, the Ama Samuha assists the families by cooking, lending out cooking tools and equipment, and conducting the management of the occasions. Sometimes these tasks are also done jointly with a youth group of the village. The group raises their own funds from each household of the village. Within Kobang, the Aama Samuha has been playing an instrumental role in providing community assistance, and running intergenerational knowledge transfer. The building of the group also serves as a place for practicing customary institutions and law.
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Timu Pla (Mushroom Curry)Tukche Gau, was once a key hub on the Tibet-Nepal salt trade route. Like in Kobang, phapar (tartary buckwheat) is a main staple, used in dhido (porridge), roti, and soups. Nun-chiya (butter tea) is a key part of the culture. Women dry meats and vegetables in summer, producing sukuti (dried meat) and gundruk (dried vegetables).
In recent years, the Tukche Aama Samuha has been running a savings cooperative. As a way to generate income some parts of the building have been rented out including the utensils and chairs. They provide good management. The money that they raise is used as savings and invested in women who need it.
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Ngosel (Wild garlic) Dhapra Khu ( Dried Buckwheat leaves Soup)Maj Gau stands at an elevation of 1800m on a hill overlooking part of the Lamjung valley. The villagers say their ancestors settled here as Tamu people would historically follow and hunt deer; the land is very fertile, fresh seasonal vegetables are common year-round and rice is the main crop.
Jana Milan Pragati Ama Samuha was established sometime in 2005 (VS 2062). They have 50 members, who are actively involved in developing their village. In the absence of public services and facilities, the group organised the construction of toilets, communal watertaps, and chautari (resting place). They have made several financial contributions to community schools for building infrastructure. When the Maj Gaun Khane Pani (Water Supply Project) started, the group made financial contributions to the project. Currently, they also provide the monthly allowance of the security personnel and pay for the power bills of the street lights. They use their traditional knowledge to raise their funds: at any given occasion and festivals, they perform traditional song and dance. They use this money for their travel journeys or to donate to the village whenever the need arises. When not involved in the work of the group, the women are engaged in farming, collecting firewood and fodder, and management of their household.
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Niuro Tha (Fiddlehead Fern Curry) Teyba (Yeast Cake)The lifestyle here is based on a dual settlement pattern, with villages in the lower hills (Besi) and seasonal migration to the highlands (Lek). Agriculture is practiced in both the village and lower hills, while livestock farming, including cattle, buffalo, and sheep herding, follows an Umbhauli-Udhauli migration cycle
Shree Himali Aama Samuha in Ghanpokhara is one of the earliest collective groups, established in 1993 (VS 2050). At present ther are thiry-eight women active in the work of the group, building public facilities such as communal water taps, resting placse, toilets, and waiting places. The group provided funds in setting up a pilgrimage house on the way to Dudhpokhari. The Gurung women continue their traditional practices of animal husbandry, weaving radhi (woollen rugs), and farming. When a neighbour is constructing a new house, the women do not hesitate to help out by carrying heavy stones on a doko (carrying basket) for several days. Like many other Aama Samuha, the group raise their funds by performing traditional song and dance during put pute and weddings. Ghanpokhara has many men serving in the British Gurkha regiments, so when the lahure arrive in the village, the Aama Samuha welcomes them with traditional songs and dance. In recent years, under the name of Himali Krishi Samuha, members of the group are growing tea in a communal area.
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Makai Khey (Corn Bread) Mado Tha (Young Bamboo Shoot Curry)The remote villages of Nar and Phu, at 4,100m, are still called the Hidden Valley. Nar, a two-day walk from Chame, follows steep gorges and dense forests to high pasturelands. With a short agricultural cycle, villagers lead a pastoral life, moving yaks and chauri seasonally. From the chauri milk, the women make butter, dried cheese and chhurpi.
Since its inception in 1995 (VS 2051), Nar Aama Samuha has been conducting different works relating to the women’s area in the village of Nar. Its work focuses on providing information on maternal and child health, nutrition and hygiene. Focusing in this area of women’s health is extremely beneficial to the community, especially since the community health post and hospital are at a distance. The group also trains women to earn livelihood and engages in projects that help improve the local infrastructure, sanitation and education. And, like many Aama Samuha, they actively participate in welcoming guests and visitors to the village.
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Koru Tsampa ( Roasted Barley Flour) Chhurpi (Himalayan Yak Cheese)Odar Gau, a small Gurung village in Manang District with 32 homes, sits at 2,000m near towering cliffs used for honey hunting. Scattered boulders define the landscape, with a small temple built on top of it which the villagers use for rituals. The women cultivate corn, potatoes, and kidney beans, while nearby pine forests provide mushrooms and firewood.
The Aama Samua of Odar Gau was first established in 1994 (VS 2051) and its community building (bhawan) was built seven years later in 2001 (VS 2058). With its current thirty-two members, the group organise monthly clean-ups of the village and communal areas. This initiative occurs three times in a month in order to maintain a healthy environment for the villagers and visiting tourists. When there are guests, the group performs dances and sings traditional folk songs to welcome them into the village. Celebratory food is prepared using the communal kitchen of the bhawan, and malas (flower garlands) are given. In the devastating earthquake of 2015 (VS 2072), the Aama Samua Bhawan experienced structural damages which are still present to this day. Currently, there are plans for reconstruction and the Ama Samua is hopeful that their building will be strengthened. The funding for this project is being provided through the local government and village donations.
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Timu Khole (Wild Mushroom Soup) Kru (Yak Sausage)Laprak, a highland settlement in Upper Gorkha with over 700 families, is nestled on the steep slopes of Lower Manaslu. Houses, built from local stone and wood, are clustered together. Since the 2015 earthquake, wood has become the primary building material. Villagers keep large herds, with sheep raised for meat and wool and buffaloes for milk, following the lekh-besi cycle for seasonal livestock movement.
Until 2008 (VS 2064), when the Himali Ama Samuha was formed in Laprak, there were no collective women’s groups or men’s groups. The Himali Aama Samuha is an engaged collective group that caters to many gaps and challenges of the village. After its formation, the Aama Samuha has been running cleaning activities as well as building resting places. There were no communal toilets in the village before. In its absence, Aama samuha has contributed to building it in the village. The roads leading to Laprak are rugged and when it rains heavily in monsoon, landslides and boulders can clog the road up to the villages. In such cases, the Aama Samuha has contributed to the repair of the road. In other situations, Aama Samuha helps out when the villagers encounter all kinds of hazards such as when people fall off a tree or the steep cliffs.
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Aalum (Potato Soup) Bulum (Homebrew Beer)Singla, a historic Gurung village on a steep ridge, offers views of the Himalayas and terraced fields along the foothills of the Ganesh Himal. Life here is simple and practical—Gurungs herd sheep, forage seasonal foods and herbs, and craft bamboo mats for fencing and tools. Women weave bakhu from sheep wool and cultivate hardy crops like potatoes, maize, and silam, used in traditional dishes such as Aalum and silam achar. Pumpkins, intercropped with corn, are paired with tsampa, while wild tubers are foraged seasonally.
The recently established Meldi Aama Samuha of Singla was started with thirty members in 2023 (VS 2080). Since then, they have gained twenty more members. The group was formed because some of the Aama Samuha members felt that the village was becoming quiet compared to previous years. There were fewer cultural rites and annual festivals. Since their formation, the Aama Samuha have raised funds which have helped in village works such as the improvement of roadways for livestock and the creation of public space for festivals. In a short period of time, the Aama Samuha have succeeded in raising funds to assist a local villager with financial needs to pay for medical care as well as to help a village sportsperson to participate in tournaments.
Link to the videos
Yabo Khu (Taro Curry) Naki (Wild Yam)Questions or feedback? Please share your thoughts with us below:
Natural Roots was established in 2017 with the aim to promote the herbs of Nepal and had actively been working with the farmers from far-flung districts of Far-Western Nepal and in Terai. Since 2020, it has been focusing its work on researching, writing and archiving of indigenous recipes, and food practices. In addition to its documentation of Indigenous Food Heritage in Nepal, it has been conducting intergenerational food heritage workshops with indigenous youths in Pokhara and Kathmandu. Over the years, it has been researching the role of women in the culinary history of Nepal.
Binti comes from the ancestral land of the Gurungs in Lamjung. A graduate of History from the University of Otago, she has worked at the National Archives in Aotearoa New Zealand. Since 2017, as the founder of Natural Roots, she has been researching and writing about the history of Nepal’s food heritage. In 2020 and 2022, she presented her research at the Oxford Food and Cookery Symposium. In recent years, she has been actively involved in the transmission of intergenerational knowledge in Nepal, involving indigenous women as the custodians of food culture.
Born in the breathtaking landscapes of Manang, Bhumika Gurung is passionate about cultural heritage and community development. With a background in Business Administration (Finance), she is currently working at the Natural Roots Foundation to document and revive traditional food practices. She believes food is more than nourishment—it’s a story, a legacy, and a bridge between generations.
Sabbu grew up in the UK, but her people’s ancestral lands are in Myagdi. She is a student of literature, and has a strong interest in stories of migration and its effects on food, memory and consumption habits. Her interest in indigenous food history grew when her grandmother (bajai) would share stories from the village, which inspired her to create food maps and video documentations of her recipes. During her time with Natural Roots, she has deepened her knowledge of indigenous cultures through working with the rural women’s groups.
Amar was born in Kathmandu and belongs to the Newar community. Since 2015, he has passionately pursued his love for filmmaking, working as a writer, director and cinematographer. Amar’s extensive experience has led him to serve as a mentor in cinematography at several film colleges and institutes where he imparts his knowledge and inspires the next generation of filmmakers.
