People from across the world flock to Tibetan chefs to learn how to make traditional dishes that are said to have medicinal value. Classes are taken in small rooms across the hill state.
While dishing up soul-stirring delicacies, people also get morsels of information on the political situation in Tibet.
Tashi Sangye, a chef, teaches his class how to make Tibetan brown bread. He mixes the batter and tells the attentive gathering that yeast sourced from Tibetan lakes can cure dandruff. “Use it for a few weeks, and you’ll never have dandruff again,” he tells his students.
He has been holding classes for more than 10 years. Students from Israel, US and elsewhere learn how to make momos, thenthuk (a Tibetan noodle soup), tingmo (Tibetan bread) and more at Rs 250 for a two-hour lesson.
“Many people don’t know anything about Tibet beyond the existence of the Dalai Lama. This is a good opportunity to tell them more,” said Sangye, who is qualified to do so. In the late 1990s, he walked from Kham in eastern Tibet to McLeodganj. It took more than a month. Most of the Tibetan cooks offer one or two-day courses in breads, soups, and noodles for tour ists. Walk-ins are common but registration is the norm during peak season, when each class can have more than 75 students a month.
Sangey’s is not alone in offering information with culinary expertise. In Lhamo’s Kitchen, questions about kneading techniques are interspersed with those about the government in exile. Although the clientele in these classes is mainly European, there are some Tibetan students too.
