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FOOD

Tucked away into the highest mountains in the world, is Kashmir, bursting in saffron, fruits and flowers -a land of breath -taking beauty and fascinating food. In a Kashmiri feast called Wazwan, one can taste upto seventeen meat dishes - such as- the famous Gushtapa and the Tabakmaz. In typical Kashmiri meal, two dishes are always present - rice and a seasonal green vegetable. The dishes are cooked in mustard oil and water, with the addition of red and green chilies. Asafetida, garlic, cloves and cinnamon are added for extra flavoring. Ver, a spice mixture, is a thin, hard cake, with a hole in its center. Small pieces of ver are sprinkled over many foods for a typical Kashmiri flavor.

Exquisite fresh chutneys are made of either walnuts, sour cherries, yellow pumpkin or white radishes. Vegetables are cut in a certain predetermined style. Nedr (Lotus roots), and Praan (the Kashmiri onion) are relished, as are other seasonal greens such as : Moinja Haak, Wasta Haak, Hernj Haak and Aaram Haak.

Kashmiris relish their meat and a few favorites are the Yakhni (lamb cooked in yogurt), aab gosht (lamb cooked in milk), rogan josh (lamb cooked in with dried ginger, asafetida, fennel, red chilies), marzwangan korma (lamb cooked with the strained red puree of Kashmiri chilies). A Gushtapa popular fish dish is Gard Muj (fish cooked in white radish).

The delicious Kashmiri or breads range from the chewy Girda and crumby Kulcha to the soft Bakirkhani, the biscuit like Sheermal and the delicate Krep. These are traditionally eaten with Khava (the tea flavored with cardamom and almonds), drunk in handeless metal cups.