Nepal is incredibly diverse in cultures, traditions and ways of living. Even so, whether traveling in the flatlands, the valleys, or the mountains, there are at least three constants: namaste, dal bhat and chiya. It’s not true that every person in Nepal eats dal bhat twice a day and chiya two to four times a day, but I’ve met far more people that do than don’t.
Dal bhat, or दाल भात, is a rice-based dish with different types of bean and vegetable sides. Typically, there are two vegetable components: tarkari and achar. Literally, tarkari means vegetable, and achar translates to a pickle. The translation of pickle might mislead people, though, because it describes a wide variety of vegetable sides. The dish can also have different local meats like goat, bison or chicken, but it’s usually reserved for special occasions because meat is quite expensive.
Chiya, or चिया, means tea. Typically people drink chiya while eating snacks. Snacks are called khaja, or खाजा, and may include biscuits, fruit or popcorn. Though many types of chiya exist in Nepal, people will only offer it as black, green or white tea. White tea can also be referred to as milk tea.
