East Sikkim: Tsogmo lake & Baba Mandir

Every time my vehicle took a sharp turn, the best glimpse of nature’s beauty stirred a thrill and excitement in me. The adventurous route with well-built steep roads (except few bumpy encounters) made our journey full of amazement and fun and took us from the subtropical to the alpine zone.

A clear, pristine blue water body – in winter in the midst of ice-capped mountains; that day even the sun didn’t shy away to illuminate its enchanting beauty.

Mangnificent and picturesque landscapes

Tsogmo or Changu lake is one of the magnificent and picturesque landscapes of Sikkim which is considered sacred by both Buddhist and Hindu followers. The lake is situated at the height of 3753 m from the sea level and is known for reflecting different colours with the onset of different seasons. The Alpine forests around this oval-shaped lake is a home to rich varieties of flora and fauna. This lake is located in the restricted area on the way to Nathula pass (Indo-Tibetan border). Hence both Indian and foreigner need permit to visit Changu lake which can be availed only at Gangtok through certified tourism operators. You will find many stalls renting snow boots, gloves, jackets, gum boots etc. to battle against the cold weather.  Before heading to further upland, I would suggest you to savour hot tibetan noodle soup served at various stalls located near by Tsogmo lake. If you are looking for thrill and adventure then ropeway is waiting for you to hop on and glide through the wire lined between the awe-inspiring landscapes. These unforgettable moments are still fixed in my mind and get more intense when I see the pictures of this tour.

Tourist usually club Nathula Pass, Baba Mandir and Tsogmo lake for a day visit from Gangtok and sometimes extend it to Zuluk. On the way to Baba Mandir, you will come across many scenic sights and beautiful army cantonment with colourful shacks and buildings on one side of the road.

Baba Mandir was built to pay homage to the soldier named Harbhajan Singh who was sentry of Punjab regiment. It is said that he fell into a stream and drowned while performing his duties near the Indo-China border. After few days he reappeared in one of his colleagues dream and asked him to build a memorial on this place. Startling fact is, soldiers believe that his spirit is still around to save them from rough terrain and natural calamities. Even Chinese soldiers claim to have seen a turbaned sentry patrolling the border. He has been promoted to honorary captain posthumously.

My patriotism reached to sky when Tri-colour started fluttering to tune with national anthem being played to pay tribute to Indian army.

A must visit place for all Indians

This holy site is also adorned with panoramic view of mountain ranges, waterfall and glorious landscapes. I was lucky enough to see snow capped mountains with alpine trees resting in some places. Heavy snow shattered my plan to visit Nathula Pass for the second time. Although Sikkim is undeniably impressive in every season but certain seasons are preferred to explore this distinguished, marvellous and magical state of India.

I would recommend terralaya travels to organise your itinerary for memorable and hassle free journey. Or you can book the trip at Bamboo Retreat Hotel, a great place to explore Sikkim for those who enjoy staying out of the city. A comfortable ride and mouth-watering food along with all the permits will be arranged at your command.

Sikkim is breathtaking and so is “Chang”

Bhutia or Lepcha term for fermented alcoholic beverages. It’s always the local food and beverage which bring people closer to the place and its culture. I still remember those amusing nights and the enlightening, funny and surreal conversation I had with the wonderful people over the “Chang”. Until the last day in Sikkim, I used to wash down delicious local cuisines (Momos or Thupkas or my favourite Nepali curry) with the intoxicating Chang.

The type of chang I learned from my local friends is known as “Tongba”named after the vessel which holds this fermented beverage prepared from finger millet seeds scientifically known as “Eleusine Coracana”.

Initially these seeds are cooked in hot water for approximately 2-3 hours and remain soaked until their outer covering is peeled off which is then washed and drained out with water. These seeds are kept for few hours and then spread on a clear surface or collected in a woven bamboo basket to cool it down to a tepid  temperature. Murcha (Source of bacteria, holds and yeast) is then sprinkled and mixed with cooked millet. This mixture is kept in an enclosed vessel or ceramic pot for fermentation for at least 4 days. However longer your ferment, stronger it gets. You will smell the fermentation strongly once your Chang is done.

Besides its enchanting taste, what is appealing to most people is its unique way to drink and savour the Chang.                                                                                                   

Drink traditional Millet Beer as Chang

Local people drink chang in bamboo vessel usually called as “Tongba” or “Dungro” with a bamboo straw or pipsey with perforated end to filter the content of fermented beverage.

Hot water is poured into the vessel till the brim to release the intoxicating flavour of beverage. This process will be repeated until the alcohol in Tongba get exhausted.

In Sikkim millet beer is also widely used as an offering to the gods in ceremonies. Before taking the first sip, a few drops are always first offered to the gods.

We at Bamboo Retreat Hotel along with terralaya.com organises tour to  authentic villages for guests/tourists where they can taste original traditionally brewed chang using only natural ingredients served in beautiful Tongba. 

“Gundruk” & “Sinki”

Whether its soup or pickle, Gundruk is always inviting and pleasant in taste. One can sense the hard work, endurance and efforts put by Himalayan people especially women to prepare Gundruk; an accommodating mineral source during the off-season when diet is mostly starch with infinitesimal quantity of minerals. Gundruk can’t be cooked and usually served as an appetiser in form of soup or pickle or as a side dish with the main course/vegetable.

Fermented Food and Appetiser

Gundruk is an ideal example for effective utilisation of excess production of spinach, mustard, cauliflower and radish leaves during the harvest season. These leaves are collected, washed with water and then left in open space for 2-3 days to become dry and shrivelled. These dried leaves are chopped into moderate size pieces with knife or sickle and sometimes smashed along with radish roots as well. The smashed and shredded leaves are stored in seal tight  container in warm place for at least 4 days for fermentation. When stored in earthenware pot for fermentation, lukewarm water is poured into the container till it covers all the leaves. It taste acidic when its ready, one can also recognised the extent of fermentation through smell.

In the end, Gundruk is removed from the container and dried out in sunlight.

Similar to Gundruk, another fermented variety is Sinki prepared from radish tap roots. The process for fermentation to prepare Sinki is somewhat different from that of Gundruk. The radish with   tap roots are broken down into small pieces in “Dhinki” and then stored in a hole dug down to 2-3 feet.

Initially a small fire is ignited to warm up the hole and when its sufficiently hot, fire is put off to line up the bamboo and straw at the bottom. The shredded radish is stuffed on top of the bamboo layer which is then covered by vegetation, rock,  mud etc. to fabricate an impermeable barrier. On completion of bacterial curing which last for a month, final sun drying is carried out before consuming it.

If radish pickle is to be prepared then sun drying is not required instead it is directly mixed with spices and stored in container.
We at Bamboo Retreat Hotel prepare our own “Gundruk” and “Sinki” from organic vegetables cultivated in our garden to serve the delicious, mouth-watering Potato-Gundruk Soup, radish pickle and various other Himalayan/Sikkimese cuisines to our guest.

Old cultural technique: Fermented Foods

Fermentation is an old cultural technique that has been used since the Neolithic age for food preservation as well as for producing alcoholic beverages.[1] Technically speaking fermentation is the process of converting carbohydrates to acids or alcohol using microorganisms under anaerobic conditions (i.e. in the absence of air).[2] These microorganisms can be yeast or bacteria.

Besides wine and beer many renowned food items are a result from fermentation, such as: soy sauce, sauerkraut, kefir, kumis (fermented mares’milk popular in Central Asia and Mongolia), injera (a sourdough-risen flatbread) and achar (Indo-Aryan word for pickles). The fermented foods can be based on beans, grains, dairy or meat products.

At the Bamboo Retreat fermentation is used to preserve produce from the property’s garden, mostly vegetables. The latest vegetable in season is mula (Nepali), a local variety of radish, of which the leaves as well as the roots can be processed.

The leaves are partly dried in the sun.

Then crushed in a mortar and put into a closed transparent container. The container is kept in the sun for 15-20 days for fermentation.

When the process is deemed finished (i.e. when the green turns brownish and lighter) the fermented leaves are dried and kept for storage. Those fermented dried leaves are used for soups and achar at times when leafy vegetables are harder to come by.

The roots are used to prepare achar. For this they are first cut into small pieces and dried in the sun for two days.

In a second step, mustard oil is mixed with salt, turmeric, chilli and ground panch phoron, a spice-blend, literally meaning five spices. This blend is popular in (North)Eastern India and contains in equal parts: cumin, brown mustard, fenugreek, nigella and fennel. The radish is added and filled into glass containers. These are stored in the sun in order for the fermentation process to unfold.

When the pickles are deemed ready the containers are moved to cold storage where they can be kept for a couple of months.

Fermented foods stabilises the immune system

Fermenting vegetables is not only a method of food preservation. Fermented foods are said to have considerable health benefits. They are rich in probiotic bacteria that support the intestinal flora. As sugar and starches are broken down through fermentation the resulted food items are easier to digest. Fermentation can equally increase the availability of vitamins and minerals for absorption. The consumption of probiotic-rich food is also supporting the gut lining as natural barrier, which makes the immune system more robust.[3]

By employing fermentation techniques the Bamboo Retreat uses traditional local knowledge of food preservation to provide healthy meals for guests and staff alike.

[1] https://www.livehistoryindia.com/history-in-a-dish/2017/07/06/pickle-preserved-by-history

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation

[3] https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-offermenting

Most popular staple food: Sikkimese Daal

Daal is certainly one of the most popular staple dishes in India and there are probably as many recipes as there are communities in India.

The local version is very simple. Aside from a a kind of pulse, water, and turmeric only the following ingredients are used to spice it up: tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and salt. But this does in no ways mean that there is not a lot of work behind that dish. In the Bamboo Retreat Hotel the ingredients are sourced directly from the property’s purely organic garden. A local variety of beans (marshyam daal) is used and collected by hand.

After drying in the sun for two days the beans are shelled – also by hand.

The beans are then soaked for a couple of hours and gently cooked together with turmeric powder. The powder is home-made from the turmeric grown in the property’s garden.

Turmeric roots are harvested once a year. They are washed and sliced to be fully dried in the sun and then ground into turmeric powder.

Why turmeric plays an important role

Turmeric is used prominently in the different cuisines in India. Besides its strong colouring effect it has well-known health benefits. Curcumin is the main active ingredient and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. It is also said to lower the risk of heart diseases and cancer and alleviate the symptoms of arthritis as well as depression. Turmeric is becoming an increasingly important crop of Sikkim. It has similar cultivation practices as ginger and is grown as both pure crops as well as mixed with maize, chilly, bean, and vegetable. Compared to other crops Turmeric is more resistant to pests and diseases and therefore easily suitable for organic cultivation.

Back to our daal: The finely chopped onion, chili, tomatoes, and ginger are roasted in soy oil and turmeric powder is added. Squashed garlic is roasted separately and together with the spice mixture added to the daal. The daal is left simmering.

Meanwhile fresh coriander leaves from the garden are chopped and sprinkled on top. Daal is served almost daily to the Bamboo Retreat Hotel’s guests and staff.

It does not take a lot to make a good daal. But as the saying goes, the best things in life are the simple things..!

We found some information at:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric

http://www.sikkimorganicmission.gov.in/cash-crops/

Trekking Routes in Sikkim

Sikkim is the land of the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga. It is also one of the hotspots in India for trekking as it boasts of some of the best Himalayan trekking routes. From mountain peaks, flower valleys, forests, waterfalls, exotic birds, wildlife; there is everything you could wish for. It is considered a visual feast by trekkers. From beginners to professionals; Sikkim has something to offer for everybody. So if you are a fan of nature or not, these trek routes will make you a fan for life. So, if you are planning to visit Northeast India, then one of these treks should definitely be on your itinerary. Which one would you choose?      

Green Lakes Trek

This trek takes to you to the base of Mt. Kanchenjunga at a height of 5050 m. On the way you get to see the Zemu Glacier, stunning waterfalls, rhododendron forests and catch amazing glimpses of the eastern himalayas especially Mt. Kanchenjunga. This trek normally takes 12 days and the best time to do it is March – April or October – November. This trek is comparatively challenging compared to the other treks and is not for beginners. The trek starts in Lachen, North Sikkim at 2750 m.   

Goecha La Trek

The most popular trekking route in Sikkim by a long distance; the Goecha La trek gives you chance to view more than 10 breathtaking Himalayan mountains peaks. The trek can be completed within 10 days. The best time to do this trek is October – November. It is a photographer’s paradise as one gets to see some unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. Starting from Yuksom at 1780 m, you get to pass through lush rhododendron forests till you get to the top at nearly 4800 m. An interesting fact is that the view of Mt. Kanchenjunga from Goecha La is used on the back of the Rs. 100 note in India.     

Dzongri Trek

This is a comparatively easy trek that can be completed within 7 days. On the way you will see a number of Himalayan trees; from oak, maple, pine, etc and pass through rhododendron forests on your way to the meadows of Dzongri. But it will be the sight of Mt. Kanchenjunga that will blow you away. Your journey will begin in Yuksom at 1800 m and the highest point will be at 4030 m. The best time to visit is between October and March to get a good view of the snow clad peaks. This is the most popular trek among tourists with no trekking experience.

Tosar Lake Trek

This is a slightly offbeat trek taking you through yak trails up to the Tosar Lake at 4000 m. The trek starts at Naga village at an altitude of 1800 m. You get to pass through coniferous forests and also get to see exotic flowers, birds and obviously beautiful mountain ranges. The Tosar lake lies between the Chola and Mangan ranges. The best time to visit is between March-June and September-November. It’s a comparatively easy trek and can be completed in 7 days. It is a must for photographers who wish to capture nature at its finest.    

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

The ultimate experience for adventure seekers, Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek attracts trekkers from across the world. This trek starts at Yuksom and takes you up to 4950 m. It can be easily completed in 9 days. The best time to visit is between April – June and September – November. You will see the best of Sikkimese Himalayas in this trek. The magnificent Mt. Kanchenjunga on this trek will be the highlight of this trek but there will many other mountain peaks to see.    

Singalila Trek

This trek route will test your limits but also reward you with unforgettable views, including that of Mt. Everest. This trek starts in Uttarey, West Sikkim at 2320 m and takes to as high as 5000 m. You will pass through quaint villages, thick forests, lakes, rivers and steep passes on this journey. As you will be walking close to the Indo-Nepal border, you will be able to see more than 15 major peaks of the Himalayas and 4 of the top 5 highest mountains in the world. This trek can be completed in 15 days and is best attempted between April-June or October-November.

Make the Bamboo Retreat your base before out! We can help with transportation and guides as well as ensure your comfort and relaxation after accomplishing you trekking.