Quick answer
In Sikkim, eat momos, thukpa and thenthuk everywhere, and look for local dishes such as phagshapa (pork with radish), gundruk soup, kinema, sel roti and dishes made with chhurpi cheese. Vegetarians do well: Gangtok has many veg and North Indian restaurants, and most local dishes come in veg versions. Jain food is harder outside Gangtok.
How easy is it to eat well?
Vegetarian & Jain friendliness
5 = easy everywhere, 1 = plan every meal
Indian food availability
5 = Indian restaurants everywhere, 1 = rare
Dishes to try in Sikkim
Momo
Steamed dumplings with cabbage, paneer, cheese, pork or chicken fillings, served with a fiery tomato-chilli achar. Veg and cheese momos are on every Gangtok menu.
Thukpa
A noodle soup with vegetables or meat, and the warming dinner of choice in Lachung. Ask for the veg version if you don't eat meat or egg.
Thenthuk
Tibetan soup with hand-pulled flat noodles. Veg versions are common in Gangtok cafés.
Phagshapa
Strips of pork fat stewed with radish and dried chillies, traditionally without oil. A Sikkimese classic.
Sha phaley
Tibetan bread stuffed with minced meat and cabbage, then deep-fried. Some cafés make a veg version.
Gundruk soup
Fermented, sun-dried mustard or radish leaves cooked into a sour soup, eaten with rice.
Sinki
Fermented radish root used in soups and pickles. Sour and earthy.
Kinema
Fermented soybeans cooked as a curry with onion, tomato and chilli. Strong-smelling and nutty, often eaten with rice.
Sel roti
A sweet, ring-shaped, deep-fried rice bread, made especially for Dashain and Tihar and sold at bakeries and tea stalls.
Chhurpi
Cheese made from yak or cow milk. The hard kind is chewed for hours; the soft kind is cooked with ferns or chilli.
Ningro with chhurpi
Fiddlehead fern tips stir-fried with soft cheese. A seasonal dish in spring and the monsoon.
Dalle khursani achar
Pickle made from the round dalle chilli, one of the hottest in India. A small amount goes a long way.
Phrases that help
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ma shakahari hun | I am vegetarian (Nepali) |
| Masu nahaleko | Without meat |
| Anda nahaleko | Without egg |
| Pyaj lasun nahalnu hola | Please don't add onion and garlic |
| Piro kam | Less spicy |
| Dhanyabad | Thank you |
What is Sikkimese food like?
Sikkim's food draws on Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha and Tibetan kitchens. Day to day, that means rice with dal and vegetables, noodle soups, dumplings, fermented greens and soybeans, and a lot of chilli. Pork and beef are common in local homes and small eateries, but vegetarian versions of most popular dishes are easy to find.
Sikkim was declared a fully organic farming state in 2016, so local vegetables, greens and pulses are a highlight of homestay meals.
Is it easy to eat vegetarian in Sikkim?
In Gangtok, yes. MG Marg and the streets around it have pure-veg restaurants, North Indian and South Indian places, and cafés with veg momos, thukpa and thenthuk. In Pelling, hotel kitchens handle vegetarian requests well.
North Sikkim is simpler. Lachung and Lachen lodges serve set meals of rice, dal, a vegetable, roti and egg or chicken. Tell your operator about dietary needs when you book, and pack snacks for the long drive.
What about Jain food?
Possible in Gangtok, where some restaurants run by Marwari families can cook without onion, garlic or root vegetables. Elsewhere it's hard, because onion, garlic, potato and radish turn up in almost everything. Carry dry snacks, theplas or khakhras for Lachung and Pelling, and use the phrases below.
Indian food in Sikkim
Gangtok has a large Marwari and Bihari community, so dal, roti, sabzi, thalis and South Indian breakfasts are easy to find. Indian food is harder in North Sikkim, though most lodges can make dal, rice and roti.
Drinks to try
- Temi tea, from the state's only tea estate, near Ravangla.
- Butter tea, salty and rich, in Tibetan cafés and monasteries.
- Tongba, a warm millet beer sipped through a bamboo straw, for those who drink.
Momo chutney in Sikkim is far hotter than in Delhi. Taste a small amount first, especially with children.
Plan around the meals with our 7-day Sikkim itinerary, things to do in Sikkim, where to stay in Gangtok and the Sikkim trip cost guide. See the best time to visit Sikkim too.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sikkim good for vegetarians?
Can I get Jain food in Gangtok?
What is the most famous food in Sikkim?
Is the food in Sikkim very spicy?
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Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
