Food in Darjeeling

Darjeeling is a multiethnic town with its past anchored in the Raj Era. At that time, the place was inhabited by the Lepchas. By and by other communities began to settle in and each brought with them their own traditions and customs. However, none could leave a lasting impression on the culture of Darjeeling as the Nepalese and the Tibetans could. In fact, when we talk about the food of Darjeeling we mainly mean the Nepali and the Tibetan cuisine.
Yet one has to admit that, amalgamation of various cuisines in Darjeeling, West Bengal has resulted in a unique food culture of its very own and we find continental dishes being offered side by side with ethnic items such as momos and thukpas. Moreover, the climatic condition being on the colder side, intake of alcoholic beverages as well as soups and tea is quite high.
Traditional Nepali Food in Darjeeling:
Many restaurants in Darjeeling offer Nepali Thali and hence anyone interested in savoring the local flavor should try them. At the same time, one should be a little choosy about such restaurants because many of them do not really bother about health and hygiene. However, Hotel Revolver located in the vicinity of Gandhi Road is a good place to savour authentic Nepali cuisine.
Snack Food in Darjeeling
Shel Roti And Dhindo
Shel Roti is a ring-shaped sweet dish made out of rice floor. Milk, butter, sugar, banana etc are added to it to make a batter, which is then fried in ring shape over high heat. This is usually made at home during the festivals and therefore, if anyone wants to sample these delicious sweetmeats, he/she has to acquire a local friend. Dhindo is also another Nepali sweet dish made mostly at home.
Momo
Contrarily, momo is as much available in different eateries across the town as it is a popular at home. In fact, it is possibly the most popular snack food available across Darjeeling. Traditionally, mince meat of either buffalo or goat is enfolded in a doughy wrapper and then steamed in special momo pan. It is then served either with hot soup or with chutney. Properly made momo is always soft and juicy; therefore very delicious.
Thukpa
Thukpa, another popular food of Darjeeling, is more like a Chinese noodle soup. However, one should not treat it just as a starter; for an average eater, one bowl of thukpa should be enough for quite a few hours. 
Thukpa ( Photo Source : Flickr)
Although it originated in Tibet, it is now accepted among all ethnic groups with equal zeal. However, the Nepali version is hotter and spicier than the pure Tibetan recipe.