Food & restaurant
What is momo?
Momo is Nepal's beloved dumpling — small, half-moon-shaped, steamed or fried, filled with buffalo, chicken, vegetables, or paneer. Served with achaar (a spicy tomato dipping sauce). Tibetan in origin but now thoroughly Nepali. Fifteen pieces for NPR 200–300 in Kathmandu.
The Nepali
मम
momo/momo/
Related questions
How do you say delicious in Nepali?
"Mitho chha" (मीठो छ) — "it's delicious." Said at the table, eye contact with whoever cooked. The single warmest compliment a Nepali host receives from a foreigner.
How do you say I'm full in Nepali?
"Pugyo" (पुग्यो) — literally "enough." Wave gently as you say it; the didi serving dal bhat is about to add a third helping otherwise. Always paired with "dhanyabad" right after.
How do you say I'm vegetarian in Nepali?
"Ma shakaahari hu" (म शाकाहारी हुँ) — "I am vegetarian." Nepali kitchens — especially Hindu ones — understand vegetarianism deeply. Dal bhat is vegetarian by default; only specify when ordering off-menu.
How do you say water in Nepali?
"Paani" (पानी) is water. "Tato paani" is hot water, "chiso paani" is cold. On the trail above 3,000m, ask "tato paani chha?" — "is there hot water?" — and pay the 300-600 NPR for a hot shower.