Skip to main content

Mo:Mo:

Once again, foodie talks, and today it's about म: म: 

The spelling of म: म: in English has widely been accepted as 'Mo Mo', which is not correct, in my opinion. The phonics is mã mã or mʌ mʌ. Sadly, there is no correct spelling in the English language for म: म:. But it is not a big issue as long as people enjoy it.

Secondly, the 10 pieces of momos per plate is not enough to sate the hunger. Whoever comes up with this standard is either a thin, low-appetite guy or an owner who wants to make a big profit. 10 pieces are a little less to satisfy the hunger and two places are a little more. The right number should be 15 pieces. 1 plate = 15 pieces. End of discussion.

Momo is the most loved food in Nepal, in general, and somehow became a sort of national food for us. It is easy, cheap and delicious. Many argue that the origin is Tibet, but how a nationalist can simply let it go. I fight for 'Momo is originated in Nepal'. We are still fighting 'Buddha was born in Nepal'. We are proud inventors of Momo - and the rest of the world copied it and named it dumplings or whatever names. For example, in Afghanistan, there is a similar food, Maantu. They copied it from us. 

When I was a kid, Ranjana Galli Momo and later Everest Momo were famous momo places - wow, those were the days. The smell of momo would simply attract every bypasser. Slowly, we started seeing momo shop everywhere. And at the same time, momo starts to get diversified. It starts to have different sizes, tastes, soups, spices and tastes. Trust me, if I am blindfolded and I taste the momo, I can tell the ethnicity of the cook. There is always a cultural component to the momos. In the end, culture shapes us, and so are the momos.

Last week, I had a heritage walk with my son to the old town. It was raining in Kathmandu, possibly this would be the last winter rain for this year. For us, Rain MUST be accompanied by momo. When we reached 'Narayan Dai ko Momo Centre' at Durbar Square, it was crowded. We ordered Momo, the real momo - with noprefix. When there is 'chicken' or 'fried'  or 'vegetable' in front of 'momo', it is no a real momo. So, to be a real momo it has to be buff (buffalo) with कान बाट धुवा निकाल्ने पिरो ! Super hot chilly power. :) 

And we enjoyed momo and the walk around the courtyards of temples, watched by the god and goddess. 

Labels:

Comments

  1. Vikash GoyalJune 8, 2024 at 9:59 PM

    You're right, the direct transliteration म: म: (ma: ma:) doesn't translate perfectly into English. "Momo" is the most widely used spelling, and while it might not be phonetically accurate, it's widely understood.

    Your description of the perfect momo (buff filling, spicy) is mouthwatering! It's interesting that you consider a plain momo to be the "real" momo, but that's the beauty of this dish - there's a momo for everyone.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Weekend Expedition

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." — Saint Augustine "One must travel to learn." — Mark Twain "To travel is to live." — Hans Christian Andersen Travel quotes are beautiful. They make me want to quit my job, buy a backpack, and disappear into the mountains with nothing but a notebook and an unreasonable amount of optimism. Then I remember I have bills. I also admire the people who wrote these famous travel quotes. They all lived before commercial airlines, budget airlines, baggage fees, airport security, visa applications, and the invention of the middle seat. Back then, travel was a genuine adventure. You packed your belongings, mounted a horse, boarded a ship, or simply started walking. If you returned, you wrote a book. If you didn't, someone else wrote your biography. There was no climate guilt attached to every journey. Nobody calculated the carbon footprint of a camel. There were no traffic jams stretching for fi...
1 comment
Read more

My Morning, Their Midnight

Time is relative. I am not bragging about Einstein's Theory of Relativity. This is about several time zones within Kathmandu city. Five o’clock is not universally “early morning.” This morning, it was a usual morning for me. But the empty roads suggested that for many others, it was still midnight. Near the temples, devotees were already walking back from their prayers. Their day had clearly begun long before mine. I imagine they must be thinking, "Ah, the late risers are out." And the vegetable vendors? For them, 5 a.m. is practically late morning. Shops open, scales ready, transactions underway. Their workday was already in full swing while it was still dark. Then comes Thamel, lights still glowing, people spilling out of pubs, laughing, smoking. For them, the night was young. It appears Nepal’s little Las Vegas, blinking through a hangover. “Early” and “late” are not absolute words. They are relative to what we make with our own lifestyles. Time is less a clock and mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Pursuit of 3:59

I registered for my next marathon. The 18th Kathmandu Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, 10 October 2026, just one day before Ghatasthapana. The following morning, Dashain will begin. Families will gather, kites will appear in the sky, Dashain dhuun and smells of the festival. And for me, if all goes according to plan, it will also mark the end of a three-month break from alcohol. What a day to resume a glass of whiskey. I am giving myself three months to prepare properly. No shortcuts. No excuses. Clean eating. Consistent running. Adequate rest. I am breaking my last year's marathon record of 4 hours and 28 minutes. This year, the target is clear: sub-four hours. The difference between 4:28 and 3:59 is not only twenty-nine minutes, but it is also going to be what I do in these three months. My run, my food, my sleep and many more, all my small decisions will definitely make a difference. In many ways, the marathon itself is the easy part. The race lasts a few hours. The preparati...
Post a Comment
Read more

When a Job title becomes an identity

"Hello, my name is Bond, James Bond, and I am a marketing assistant." A 9-to-5 job holder, James Bond would be proudly selling a product. But James chose the right job: to become an assassin.  he is still a government employee, and much of his identity as 007 is as an MI6 agent. Our surnames are based on profession. My surname is Maharjan, which means a farmer. I no more do farming; nonetheless, the surname remains deeply embedded in social identity. My surname says what my parents and ancestors used to do for a living. Many government quota systems are still based on surnames. For me, I have a profession, and I have my Business cards, LinkedIn profiles, office door nameplate, email signatures, and my elevator pitch; all reinforce my profession as the centre of my identity. Have I blurred the line between my profession and personality? I have been a job holder for more than 25 years now. A job title is useful for me. It tells people what I do. It is comforting. It provides pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The book Thief

I finished The Book Thief this week. The first thing that stands out about the novel is its narrator. The story is told from the perspective of Death. Rather than appearing as a terrifying force, Death becomes an observer, a collector of souls, and ultimately a storyteller. Out of the millions of lives that pass before him, he keeps returning to one ordinary yet remarkable girl: Liesel Meminger. Liesel is a foster child growing up on Himmel Street, a modest working-class street in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Through Death's narration, we witness her life, her struggles, her friendships, and the quiet moments that unfold beneath the shadow of a devastating conflict. What impressed me most was the simplicity with which the story is told. There are no grand military campaigns or dramatic political speeches. Instead, we see football games in the street, the loyalty of her friend Rudy, the kindness of the Hubermann family, and the small routines of everyday life. Most war ...
1 comment
Read more