Kashmiri Culture and Food Journal: Feasts, Tea and Craft

What is this culture and food journal for?

Most people come to Kashmir for the lakes and the snow, and leave talking about the food. This page is the front door to that side of the valley: how a feast is served, what an ordinary day tastes like, which crafts are worth a look and how to behave so that people are glad you came. For a dish-by-dish list, go to our Kashmiri food guide. For the places themselves, start with the Srinagar page.

A word on how we write. These are traveller's notes from Srinagar, kept general and plain, not a history of the valley. Customs differ between families, between villages and between the old city and the new town, so treat each line as a starting point and ask your host or driver how it is done where you are.

Why does a meal say so much about Kashmir?

The valley sits on old trade and pilgrim routes, and its winters are long and cold. Both show on the plate: sun-dried vegetables kept for the snow months, meat cooked slowly with spices, dry fruit and saffron in sweet and savoury dishes, and tea poured all day. Rice is the daily staple, bread comes from the local baker, and almost every dish is cooked to be shared.

Two food traditions sit side by side. Kashmiri Muslim cooking is known for its meat dishes and the wazwan; Kashmiri Pandit cooking leans on yoghurt, dried ginger, fennel and asafoetida, and many family recipes leave out onion and garlic. Visitors are usually served the first kind. If you eat vegetarian, say so early and ask for the second kind of cooking by name.

What is a wazwan and how is it served?

The wazwan is the grand shared feast of Kashmir, cooked for weddings and big family days by a master cook and his helpers. It is a long run of dishes, mostly of meat, brought out in turns rather than all at once. Guests sit on the floor or at low tables in groups of four, and each group shares one large copper platter, which is first loaded with rice and then refilled as the meal goes on.

Before the food arrives a jug and a basin go around so everyone can wash their hands, and people eat with their fingers. Rogan josh, tabak maaz and rista are among the dishes often named, and gushtaba is traditionally one of the last. A family wazwan can run to many courses; a hotel or restaurant version is shorter. If you want to eat one, tell us early and ask what a host or a hotel kitchen can serve on your dates; ask the quote to say what is included.

What do people eat and drink on an ordinary day?

Which crafts and foods make good things to bring home?

Kashmir is known for its handwork, and a visit to a workshop or bazaar is part of the culture, not a break from it. The rule is simple: ask what a thing is made of, who made it and what it costs before you start to bargain, and keep the bill.

A shopping stop is optional and goes into the day only if you ask for one. If you would rather skip it, say so, and the hours stay free for the lake.

How should you behave at a shrine, in a home and in a bazaar?

• At a shrine or a mosque, dress modestly, cover your head, take off your shoes and speak softly. Rules for visitors, including for women, differ from place to place, so ask your driver or guide before you go in.
• Avoid visiting at prayer times unless you are invited. Ask for the timings and plan around them.
• In a home, take off your shoes at the door and accept the tea. Say politely when you have had enough, because hosts like to keep serving.
• Ask before you photograph a person, a stall or a family, and do not photograph inside a place of worship unless you are told it is allowed.
• At a shared platter, wash your hands first and take from your own side. Do not leave food unfinished on a shared plate.
• In the old city the lanes are narrow and busy. Keep valuables close and take a guide for the first walk.

How can you fit culture into a short trip?

1. 1Give Srinagar a full day, not an evening. The old city, a bakery breakfast and one shrine fit before lunch, and a shikara ride is a calm way to end the day.
2. 2Sleep one night on a houseboat. The cook, the carved woodwork inside and the tea at sunset are part of the culture.
3. 3Ask for one proper Kashmiri meal, either a wazwan in a hotel or a home-style dinner, and tell us about any food rules in advance.
4. 4Choose one craft stop only, so that shopping does not eat the day.
5. 5Keep a spare hour in each town. The best moments are usually the ones nobody planned.

Where should you read next?

Our Kashmiri food guide lists dishes and tells you what to order. If you are planning the whole trip, start from the Kashmir tour packages or ask for a free custom quote, and say what you would like to taste and see.