Memory burst in every bite of momo

One of the most loved foods of all Nepalis, momo somehow entices everyone and the memory this dish weaves is worth looking back at. Our readers have numerous ... some crazy, some embarrassing, some silly, nonetheless all make one smile

• Memories are always treasured. Being less of a food enthusiast, devouring those little white balls called momos, brought some awkward and awesome memories. It was the first time and I was surrounded by friends at a momo shop. While they ordered buff momos, I ordered chicken momos. We were served. I devoured. I went to pay the bill. To my astonishment there was, on the bill, six plates of buff momos for the six of us. I was shocked. When I turned to the friend who had ordered, he simply shrugged with a crooked smile on his face. A Brahmin by birth, I was in a fix while the five ‘criminals’ laughed. And I had a memory.

— Saurav Pokharel

• Momo — the all-time-hit food for me is something I search for whenever I see the menu at a restaurant. I remember eating momo during my school days. A special memory associated with momo during those days is something I will never forget. It was during my school days when one of my friends and I, while returning from school, would occasionally go to the local momo shop and have those bhyarbhyare momo, which basically is submerged in soup like achaar. Sometimes when we did not have any money, we would have half-a-plate each but drink soup as much as we could. Nearby was a Tibetan momo shop which was expensive, going there to eat was a luxury. We would save money from our lunch money for those Tibetan momos. I can still picture both of those momo and that feeling of ‘yayyy my plate of momo is coming’ just like it was yesterday.

— Anonymous

• Nepalis love momos. About a year ago I had gone to a cafe for a family dinner. My dad asked me what I preferred. I told him that I wanted to have some fried chicken momo. When the waiter brought the momo I was so keen to have it. Thereby I took a huge bite of the momo which tasted good. When I was having a second bite, I accidentally hit my tooth with my fork and a small piece of my tooth broke. It sounds silly but it’s true. Since then I have been careful while using a fork.

— Anupam Gautam

The delicious scent of momos already made our mouth water as we entered the Down Town Café. Starved, we quickly ordered steamed momos. Buff obviously. Yet again, the luscious pictures of momos pasted on the wall made it hard to control our appetite. Looking at the other enthusiastic eaters, one could easily presume how awesome it’d be when you have momos burst in your mouth.

And there it came, cute momos with accompanying achaar in a small aluminum bowl. The magnificent aroma of achaar comprising tomato, sesame and timur stimulated our salivary glands vigorously. After devouring those pieces, Bijay whispered, “Amazing!” We thought to try another variety, fried momos. The best part of that moment was we couldn’t stop asking for achaar again and again. The piquant taste of it blindly enthralled us. Afterwards, my complete attention was drawn by those oily brown momos. The crust was as crunchy as butter cookies, so brittle that it cracked audibly when I pressed it with my fork. Once again I mixed some achaar, and when I put it in my mouth, I found an extremity of pleasure that everyone seeks in the real taste of momos.

— Surendra Karki

Whenever I hear the word momo my hunger suddenly increases. I love achaar more than the momo. Whatever the occasion I just want momo. I think a party is just incomplete without momo. I have lots of memories related to momo party. In the weekends my mum makes momo and I make achaar.

On special occasions like birthdays, a momo treat is compulsory.

In short, without momo life is boring because momo adds that extra spice into our lives.

— Anonymous

Momo is my favourite food and I have lots of special good as well as bad memories associated with it. One of the bad memories takes me to one of the famous restaurants of Kathmandu which serves both veg and non-veg momo.

Once we had ordered veg momo, they served one non-veg momo in-between. And I happened to grab the latter. But luckily I opened the momo before eating and found something different. When we asked the staff they confirmed that it was non-veg momo.

Since then, we stopped going to that restaurant and I stopped eating momo from restaurants which serve both veg and non-veg momo. Since then if I have to eat momo, I open each momo before eating.

— Bidyaaz, Kathmandu

When I was new in the Capital, I heard the word momo many times, but I was yet to taste it. While walking around Basantapur, my relative took me to have some momo. Rolling the dough, wrapping it with the stuffing, and steaming those in the tiered steamer and distributing fresh momo accompanied by dipping sauce was what I saw. When I ate momo for the first time I found the taste different, and I couldn’t eat those 12 pieces without my relative’s help. If the same incident occurred today, not a single piece will remain on my plate.

— Suresh Pokhrel, Gulmi

Momo, the signature scrumptious Nepali food, is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of food memories. I have many memories with family and friends gathering around or going to a restaurant to eat momo. We Nepali people don’t need a reason to make (or eat) momo — just the word momo is enough to gather a few of us and a momo party is on!

My friends in college used to make really good excuses to have momo at Jamal in Kathmandu. We used to like big juicy mouth watering momo and soup. I vividly remember one my friends going bananas every time we entered the restaurant. She used to talk all crazy.

Almost half a decade later, I still visualise those moments.

— Saroj Shrestha, Kathmandu

Yes, eating something we love creates memories. Many Nepali people may like momo. Some may not, but in my memory I am passionate about momo. This in my favourite dish.

— Ankur Karn, Birgunj

Momo was one of mouth watering dishes of mine, and it still is. Having a busy life and with my limited income, I don’t always get a chance to fulfil my appetite for momo.

My association with momo dates back to 2038 BS, I think. My maternal uncle took me out along with my cousins. I have no idea where I was taken to. Finally we entered in a building and took our seats in a corner. My maternal uncle placed the order. After a few minutes, hot momo and chowmein were served. The moment I had momo, I longed for more and chowmein too. Ever since I have fallen in love with momo and chowmein.

There were limited varieties back then, but today one can see a growing number of varieties of momos. I still remember making momo and serving the whole family. That taste still lingers on my tongue. Even today if anyone serves me momo, it becomes a memory.

— Pratibha Bhandari

Just a few weeks ago, one of our friends called us for an unofficial gathering at newly started cafe in Bouddha.The main objective of our gathering was how to support unemployed youth in different communities in Nepal. After our short discussion, we tasted the mouth-watering momo with cheese and potatoes fillings. There we found out one guitar at the nook of the cafe and then our gorgeous girls started to sing some old Bollywood numbers strumming the guitar. We sang for around an hour and then slowly everybody started dancing, which continued till 8:00 pm. That was one of my best memories attached with yummy momo and of course with my cool friends.

— DTsering, Kathmandu

I have lots of memories but among them my memory associated with momo is quite entertaining and joyful. My friends Rakesh Chaudhary, Prakriti Khanal and I went near Sundhara to have momo. We had gone there before the earthquake struck. We enjoyed a lot on that day. Prakriti and I had only one plate of momo but Rakesh added one plate more. He likes momo a lot. After that we roamed around Hanumandhoka. Anyway we enjoyed a lot. I miss those days and my friends too.

— Ravikant Yadav, Majhariya-06, Bara

It’s been not more than a year that my few friends and I went to Phulchowki. After returning we were so hungry that we decided to eat momo. Four friends devoured momo, individually we ate two-and-a-half plates each, which made a grand total of 10 plates. Well, it’s quite a memory of momo. We were so lost in the woods of Phulchowki that momo helped us find ourselves.

— Anonymous

It is true that every Nepali loves momo and I’m no exception. So, this one time my best friend and I decided to make momo. Both our mothers were out of town so we were left on our own. We were excited and started making a list of ingredients. We thought making momo was as easy as breeze. We acted cool, went to the market and bought almost all the ingredients. We planned to buy minced meat at last because we knew where to get it and we assumed that we would have no trouble buying it. When we went to the meat shop, the shopkeeper told us that there was no electricity in the entire area and that none of the meat shops’ machine would work. So, we almost walked almost the entire town in search of a meat shop. Some shops were out of buff meat and some had machine and electricity problem. It was almost dark and finally after walking for like a whole day we found a meat shop where we brought the minced meat and started making momo at last. And trust me, the momo we made that day tasted truly magical and heavenly!

— Rajani Rayamajhi

Every day when we wake up, a new memory awaits to be created! The most remarkable memory related to momo was with my college gang. My three friends and I were famished and thereby went to Kathmandu Mall to eat. These ladies ordered momo. We sat and talked. The momo were finally on the table ... and the first bite. It was different, frankly it didn’t taste good like before. I could barely finish one piece when they burst out laughing. Their evil laughter struck a chord and I realised I had tasted the wrong momo — it was chicken momo, nightmare for every vegetarian. My anger then knew no bounds. Later at home when I narrated the incident to my family, they supported my friends’ childish behaviour and told me to start tasting chicken too.

Today, it is one of the incidents that I smile at for no reason. THANK YOU GUYS!

— Barsha Yadav, Bhaktapur

Momo makes every mouth water. I love momo and yes, it’s probably true that there’s nobody out there in Nepal who doesn’t like momos. And if someone says s/he doesn’t, I will kick them (wink).

I have so many memories related to momo. One day after finishing lunch in a restaurant (the lunch was three plates of momo) I went to pay the bill. I had to pay Rs 500, but I didn’t know that in my left pocket there was Rs 5 and in the right there was Rs 500. I didn’t realise this then and without a glance handed the five-rupee note. The person at the counter stared at me and like a fool I didn’t even see the note and stared back for a moment. Eventually I thought: “Why is he staring at me?” Then the shopkeeper barked, “Where the hell are you lady?”

My frustration reached its limit and I started cursing him.

He then threw that five-rupee note on my face. I was so frustrated that I threw momo soup on his face and left the place breaking one bottle of beer.

— Shraddhdha Karmacharya, Manthali-2, Ramechhap

Yes, every Nepali loves momo and it is always on our priority list wherever we go out to eat. I am also one of those momo lovers. After returning from college I always used to eat momo like I was habituated to it. That day was a cold day. My friend and I went to a restaurant to eat momo. But unfortunately momo was already finished. We went to more than two or three restaurants that day searching for momo but in vain. That day we had to return home hungry.

— Anonymous

Being honest, I have really not collected any special memory related to eating momo. However,there is one memory associated with it. It was the time when I first had a sumai momo, a world-famous momo from Japan which is green in colour. It is a

momo which is open on top and tastes delicious. When I tasted that momo, I felt like I have never eaten something so delicious in my life. After having that dish, I was really refreshed and rejuvenated because it was one of the most-loved dishes of my entire life. Even in the future I will love to have more of it, provided if I get the opportunity.

— Pratik Shrestha, Buddhanagar, Baneshwor

It was a dusky evening and I was on one of the restaurants’ balcony at New Baneshwor. The green area of the hall had attracted me a lot. I had fried c-momo with fresh green peppers which was so delicious and healthy. The other memory is of third week in the USA when I was dying to have momo with tofu and pudina chutney. We invited friends and relatives and prepared momo ourselves. I have always seen bright faces of the Nepalis when the momo is served.

— Melsam Ojha, Kathmandu

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Driving or riding at night is a Herculean task.The culprit — no street lights. And the rains have made it worse. It becomes impossible to see if someone is crossing the road, you have to trust your instincts. Everyone needs to be safe on the roads, but ... how long can this go on? Have you faced such a problem? What can be the solution to this ‘blind’ driving?

Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, August 7 by 2 pm to Features Department, The Himalayan Times,

e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com