Food & Shopping

Food & Shopping

Though Ravangla is a quiet and offbeat hill town, it offers delightful local flavors and meaningful souvenirs, especially for travelers who appreciate simple, soulful experiences. From steaming hot momos and thukpa to prayer flags and Sikkimese tea, here’s your guide to the best food and shopping experiences in Ravangla.

 What to Eat in Ravangla

 1. Momos (Dumplings)

• Soft dumplings stuffed with vegetables, chicken, or pork, served with spicy red chutney.
• A must-have snack, perfect on chilly evenings.
   Try at:
  ✔️ Taste of Sikkim
  ✔️ Kushboo Restaurant near Buddha Park
  ✔️ Small stalls around the main market area

 2. Thukpa & Noodle Soups

• A wholesome Himalayan noodle soup with veggies or meat.
• Also try Wai-Wai noodle soup and Gyathuk, a Tibetan-style noodle broth.
   Best at:
  ✔️ Local eateries in the Ravangla market
  ✔️ Shambala Restaurant (if open)

 3. Sikkimese Traditional Meals

• Try a local thali with:
  ✅ Dal, rice, saag (greens)
  ✅ Gundruk (fermented leafy greens)
  ✅ Chhurpi (yak cheese cubes)
  ✅ Bamboo shoot curry and homemade pickles

 Available at:
✔️ Home-run lodges and guesthouses
✔️ Ask your host for an authentic meal

 4. Local Snacks & Sweets

• Look for:
  ✅ Sel Roti (fried rice rings)
  ✅ Khapse (Tibetan fried cookies)
  ✅ Homemade fruit cakes, steamed buns, and local chhurpi sweets

 Found in:
✔️ Bakeries near Buddha Park entrance
✔️ Weekly market stalls (especially on Saturdays)

 What to Buy in Ravangla

 1. Prayer Flags & Buddhist Souvenirs

• Beautifully printed Lungta prayer flags, wall hangings, and Tibetan thangka paintings
• Other items include incense sticks, singing bowls, and prayer wheels
   Shops near:
  ✔️ Buddha Park entrance
  ✔️ Monastery gift stalls (Ralang)

 2. Organic Sikkim Tea

• Buy Temi Tea from the estate itself or Ravangla shops.
• Available in green, black, oolong, and flavored blends.
   Get it at:
  ✔️ Temi Tea Garden café/shop
  ✔️ Cooperative stores in Ravangla bazaar

3. Woollens & Handmade Accessories

• Locally made shawls, mufflers, caps, and bags
• Many are hand-knitted by village women
   Available at:
  ✔️ Street stalls during weekly markets
  ✔️ Occasional seasonal haats

 4. Spices, Pickles & Local Produce

• Pick up jars of:
  ✅ Bamboo shoot pickle
  ✅ Dalle khursani (fiery round red chili)
  ✅ Lapsi (hog plum) chutney
• Also look for wild honey, yak cheese, and Himalayan herbs

 Find at:
✔️ Saturday morning market
✔️ Small provision shops in the bazaar

 Top Shopping Spots in Ravangla

✅ Food & Shopping Tips

✔️ Most shops and stalls accept cash and UPI
✔️ Carry small change for local vendors
✔️ Ask for samples when buying pickles or tea
✔️ Support village women and cooperatives — they often make the best hand-knits
✔️ Eat where the locals go — those places serve the freshest meals!