Food and Hygiene in Kathmandu

Things in Nepal have changed drastically over the past 10 years… Even 5 years has made a huge difference. There is very little that you cannot get if you live in Kathmandu. In fact, you would be hard pressed to mention anything that you can’t get as far as food is concerned. Some things that we have not yet found… maple syrup (although you can get the inferior Aunt Jemima kind of syrup), beef oxo cubes (but you can find chicken, vegetable and Mexican flavored ones), sour things like sour candies and salt and vinegar potato chips. I am sure there are other obscure things that are not available, but nothing so far that we truly miss…

So far, food is the one thing that you can spend quite a bit of money on. Sure, you can definitely do what the natives do and eat very cheaply. To eat pretty much the same way that we eat back in Canada it does costs significantly more… much more than what we pay for rent. The one good thing is that produce can be had for very cheap, so if you are ok with being a vegetarian, you costs should go down significantly.

An axiom for travelers abroad when in developing countries like Nepal or India is never eat anything raw! I have always adhered to this rule religiously as I am not interested in getting sick. While it is true that caution must be taken when eating in a restaurant, it is different when you prepare the food yourself. Raw vegetables can be eating without any real concern so long as you prepare it properly. This entails soaking your vegetables in iodine treated water. It doesn’t take much, just a few drops in the water and soak for 20 minutes… voila your vegetables are ready to eat!

I must say, I have been eating like a king since arriving here and in particular since we moved into our apartment. Jenn is an amazing cook and the fresh produce that we can get here is pretty much like eating out of a garden. Jenn has cooked an amazing stew, her famous spaghetti sauce, stirfrys galore and even nachos with fresh guacamole yum!!