Sherpa kitchen evening at an Okhrey homestay

In most Okhrey homestays the kitchen is the heart of the house, warm from the stove when nights fall to near freezing. Ask your hosts in the afternoon whether you can join them while they cook. Dinner is usually rice, dal, a vegetable from the garden, pickle and, if you ordered it, chicken or eggs. Many Sherpa families also cook thenthuk, a hand-pulled noodle soup, and dishes built on the potatoes that grow well at this altitude.

Try butter tea if it is offered: black tea churned with butter and salt, more soup than tea, and very welcome on a cold evening. Milk tea is always available too. Help where you are invited, chopping or rolling dough, and ask about family recipes, the seasons and how the village changed when homestays began. Remember you are a guest in a home, not a cookery class.

Tell your hosts about dietary needs early, as vegetables and stock vary. Alcohol is not part of every household, so do not assume it is on offer. Evenings start early here: dinner is often at 7–7:30 pm and the house is quiet by 9 pm, particularly before a dawn start for Barsey. A small thank-you, such as paying a little extra or bringing fruit from the plains, is appreciated.