Our cooks, kitchen staffs, and helpers are very well-versed in the hygienic preparation of food. In lodges, our Sherpa Guide supervise the food preparation by the lodge’s staff to ensure maintenance of hygienic standards and quality. The food menu can vary from different camps and lodges according to availability during the season. Normally, the Nepali Dal, Bhat (rice & lentil soup) with mild vegetable curry, fried rice, noodles, soups of great variation are the mainstay. In some places, continental foods like Hash Brown Potato, Bread, Pan Cakes, Boiled Vegetables, Stew, Pizza, Cinnamon rolls, cakes, and pies, etc. are provided. But as you go higher the food menu becomes limited due to the harsh cold climate and altitude.
On normal Trekking / Camping or at Tea-House / Lodge Trekking
Most of our treks in the Himalayan regions of Nepal-India-Tibet are done on a camping basis. However, with the lodges coming up in different trekking areas including Everest, we will be conducting lodge-based treks using the best lodges available. We can use the lodges till Gorekshep, however for the stay at Everest Base Camp, we must camp there as there is no other alternative.
During camping arrangement at Everest Base Camp, we use 2-man sleeping tents, foam mattresses, a dining tent, and a kitchen tent. A toilet tent will also be put up nearby. Our equipment also includes portable tables and chairs.
On a lodge-based trek, the only difference will be that instead of tents we’ll use lodges for accommodation. However, here too, we are extremely alert about the services and hygienic preparation of the food. Our staff members will see to that our clients receive the best treatment and also monitor food preparation in the kitchen.
Our trek staffs are well-taught about eco-trekking and are disciplined to care for the environment and surroundings. All meals are cooked in portable kerosene oil stoves no firewood is used and neither are campfires made.
A typical day during trek:
- Morning after freshening up, breakfast is served at dining hall of the lodges, normally around 7-8am followed by tea / coffee. Breakfast usually consists of porridge-muesli-granule-cornflakes with liquid powdered milk, sugar, honey. Bread and toast with eggs will be the main breakfast items on most of the days. It will be replaced by chapatti or pancakes with egg variety as per clients’ choice that can be either omelets, fried, boiled, or scrambled eggs followed by tea, coffee, and drinking chocolates. On the table, at mealtime, we serve honey, jam, peanut butter, and ketchup to go along with each meal as per the client’s choice.
- Lunch is served after 3-4 hours of morning walk depending upon the trek itinerary. Lemon or orange juice will be provided for refreshment and lunch will consist of either boiled or fried rice, chapatti, paratha, Tibetan bread, and noodles fried with boiled or curry vegetables (depending upon the season). Canned food items such as tuna, sardine, baked beans are also served including yak cheese, dry salami, green vegetables, and salad followed by another round of tea (black or lemon tea).
- On arrival at overnight stop place, late afternoon tea-coffee with biscuits or popcorn awaits you.
- Dinner is served around 6:30-7:00 p.m. at the lodge dining hall. Warm vegetable soup flavored with chicken cubes, popcorn, or papadam usually kicks off the dinner. It is followed by the main course, which can either be fried noodles with eggs and vegetables, fried rice or boiled rice, or even Pulau rice sometimes accompanied by curry or boiled vegetables of different varieties, including cutlets and momos (vegetables or meat dumplings) will be served. Deserts items usually consist of custard pudding, rice pudding, canned or fresh fruit-fritters, and sometimes when cooks have enough free time fresh baked cakes and pies can be prepared. Tea, coffee, or hot chocolates will be provided at the end of the meal
The food menu changes each day to give varieties of choices and tastes, so the client won’t be bored with the same type of food.
Our trek cooks know how to prepare a wide variety of foods as per his ration and the season in the complete wilderness, all the time keeping in mind the hygienic requirements to keep the clients healthy and happy throughout the trip.
