Ginger, maize and a Yangang homestay table

Yangang's slopes grow maize, ginger, cardamom and vegetables, and most homestay hosts still farm. Ask to walk the fields in the morning: depending on the season you may see ginger being lifted and washed in late autumn, maize hung to dry under the eaves, or spring planting on fresh terraces.

In the afternoon, join the kitchen. Dinner is usually rice, dal, a curry and seasonal greens such as squash shoots, nettle or fiddlehead fern, with pickles and sometimes gundruk, fermented leafy greens. Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali households each have their own dishes; ask what is special in yours.

Tell your hosts about any dietary needs when you book. Wash hands first and follow their lead in the kitchen. Wear old shoes in the fields, carry water, and remember the household works to its own rhythm: this is joining in, not a cooking class.