Eating 'kur' and 'rildok' with the Sherpas of Nepal

Try hearty vegetable stews, buckwheat flour pancakes, and sip on butter tea as you blend in with the mountain life

- Ridhi Agarwal

It's 8am as my plane descends at Tenzing-Hillary Airport. We are in Lukla (2,860 m), in Nepal's northeastern Solukhumbu district, which includes the Khumbu region. As the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park, and home to Mount Everest, it attracts thousands of people from across the globe.

More than 350 kilometers from Kathmandu, the cobbled, pedestrian-only path outside Lukla's airport is already alive with trekkers, stopping at Sherpa-run tea houses over breakfast and chatter, before setting off on the trail.

The Sherpas are an ethnic community indigenous to Solukhumbu. Originally from Kham in eastern Tibet, the Sherpas migrated to Nepal in the 15th century to escape conflict, in search of fertile land and new opportunities—bringing their culture, language and food traditions with them. Today, Solukhumbu region is home to one of Nepal's largest Sherpa populations and a lesser-known culinary haven.

As the autumn trekking season begins in September-October, skipping Sherpa cuisine means missing a key part of the experience. In Khumbu's settlements like Lukla, Namche Bazar, Tyangboche and Dingboche—the food speaks of a heritage shaped by migration and resilience.

We plonk ourselves at the communal dining room of Everest Mountain Home, right outside Lukla's airport exit, to begin our morning like the locals: with a cup of su-cha or butter tea, made by boiling black tea and blending it with cow ghee (traditionally yak butter was used) and salt.