Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek Food

Eating healthy during the trek and even before the trek is essential for a successful and memorable trekking journey. You do not want to get constipation or diarrhea. There are many chances of sickness at a high altitude; the kind of food you eat determines your health status. Therefore, the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek food guide is crucial.

For example, during the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, having any kind of hard drinks, i.e. the food that makes you dehydrated, can be deadly. On the other hand, you should be eating high-calorie food that keeps you energized during the day.

Also, there is a limited choice of food on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek route, and not all of the foods on the menu will be fresh. So, it’s important to pick what you should have and what you shouldn’t so that you remain active and ready to walk.

What kind of food is available in the Kanchenjunga circuit trek?

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trail is one of the most remote and thrilling trek trails in Nepal. So, do not expect any Western or continental food menu here. Trekkers can eat basic, local cuisines during the trek. In some places, you might not even have what you call food properly.

However, our Himalayan Masters guide is well-known about the terrain and teahouses, so you can get decent food during the trek.

Breakfast during the Kanchenjunga trek.

There is a limited menu option for breakfast during the Kanchenjunga trek.

Most of the time, breakfast is only a cup of tea. However, during this Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, Himalayan Masters provides a full-course breakfast for our trekkers. It includes foods such as:

• Corn Flakes
• Porridge
• Pancakes
• Muesli
• Pancake
• Varieties of egg
• Various types of bread, such as Tibetan, buckwheat, chapatis, etc.

The breakfast is accompanied by a cup of coffee and tea with honey, jam, or yak cheese. You can also have fruits or potatoes.

However, in cities like Kathmandu, Bhadrapur, Taplejung and Illam, trekkers can get a variety of breakfast options. They can have pastries, toast, fruits, different bread items, and so on.

NOTE: Since the trek usually starts at 7 to 8 am, it’s common to order breakfast in the evening itself. So that the hotel owner can prepare them early in the morning.

Lunch and Dinner during the Kanchenjunga circuit trek

High priority is given to lunch as Nepalese consume the largest portion of Dal Bhat during the daytime. Lunch is usually served in the tea house along the trail between 11 and 12 am.

The dinner is served in the hotel at Kanchenjunga, where you can stop for the night. If you eat in any other place, you might have to pay extra for the room.

The most popular dish for lunch and dinner is Dal Bhat. This is the set of spicy Lentil soup, steamed rice, vegetable curry, and pickles. In the lower altitude, you can also find meat curry. Since you can get multiple refills of Dal Bhat, this is worth the money.

The combination keeps you fulfilled and energized throughout the day. The taste and components keep changing as you move to a higher altitude, and you will never be bored with the same taste.

If you are on a diet, you can have something else for dinner as the Dal Bhat combination has quite a high calorie.

The other options for the lunch and dinner are:

• Soups
• Pasta
• Dumpling
• Pizzas
• Spring rolls
• Sandwiches
• Macaroni
• Spaghetti Noodles
• Pasta
• Mo: Mo
• Chowmin
• Thukpa, etc.

While on the trek, especially in the remote section of the Kanchenjunga region, do not expect the foods mentioned above to be of international quality. They are simple and prepared in the local style.

In contrast, lunch and dinner in cities is very good. It is normally a buffet system with lunch and dinner. Trekkers can order Nepali, Asian, Indian, Continental, and Western cuisines to choose from. Furthermore, they can have lots of green vegetable salads and different varieties of desserts, too.

Drinks during the Kanchenjunga base camp trek

In Kanchenjunga Trek, you can have options for black tea, masala tea, and lemon ginger honey tea (milk and black). You will also get coffee and hot chocolate. The price for the drinks ranges from NPR 200 to 450 per cup. The tea and coffee are available in different pot sizes.

Also, you can buy beer for about NPR 800 to 1000 per bottle. Other hard drinks like vodka and rum are also available. However, we don’t suggest any kind of alcoholic drink since that increases the chance of altitude sickness.

Water during Kanchenjunga Trekking

Staying hydrated is something we often ignore during the trek. It is essential to drink at least 3-4 liters of water during the trek to compensate for the sweat and avoid altitude sickness.

However, at a higher altitude, buying a bottle of mineral water costs $1 to $3. In the 20-day Kanchenjunga circuit trek, water adds a lot to your cost. The most reasonable solution for this is to get a water bottle of your own.

Then, you can fill it in the natural water taps or from the taps in teahouses and add filtering tablets. These filtering tablets are available in pharmacies and mini-marts around Kathmandu for a few dollars. However, we will provide a water purification tablet for the trek as a complimentary service.

Another great way is to get a Steripen Ultra that uses UV light to filter one bottle of water in less than 2 minutes and can filter up to 8000 treatments. It’s a one-time investment of about 100 USD for many treks.

Further, you can carry a Thermos to refill it with warm water so that you can prepare instant tea, coffee, or hot chocolate on the trek.

Local food during Kanchenjunga

Rest assured; you will never be out of food options during the Kanchenjunga Trekking. However, we highly recommend trying these local foods in Kanchenjunga at least once during the journey. This food is prepared with local spices, tastes great, and is unique.

• Sherpa Stew (also called Shakpa is a soupy noodle)
• Thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup)
• Choila (spiced grilled meat)
• Dhindo and Gundruk (flour dish with dried green leafy vegetable curry or pickle)
• Khir (rice pudding)
• Nepalese Mo: Mo
• Tingmo (Tibetan steamed bread)
• Riki Kur (traditional Sherpa Potato Pancake)
• Tibetan Chapati
• Tsampa (a dish made from roasted and ground floor)
• Rilduk (a potato dish made from smashed potatoes)
• Butter tea and
• Local rice drink

NOTE: You might not see these food items on the menu, but if you request that the tea house owner prepare them, they will be glad to get them ready for you. They might even teach you to make this food with locally available spices.

Food to Carry during the Kanchenjunga Trekking

If you are on a budget trip, then it’s suggested that you bring a few drinks and snacks for the trek.

Since the cost of each food is 2 to 3 times higher in the remote land of Kanchenjunga, it’s wise to pack some snacks for the trek. You can buy these snacks here in Kathmandu, or you can always buy them at the hotels where you stay.

We suggest carrying these foods:

• Instant tea/coffee
• Energy bars
• Dry fruits
• Energy drinks
• Bottled juice
• Cookies/biscuit
• Noodles
• Chocolate bars
• Electrolyte

Since three meals for the day will be included in the trekking package by Himalayan Masters, you will be quite full. There’s no need to worry about being hungry.

Kanchenjunga Trekking Food During the Camping Trek

During the camping trek, you will have an additional team of cooks and porter. They carry all the essential food, cooking utensils, and camping equipment for the trek. The food will be prepared whenever you set the camp.

The breakfast and dinner prepared by the cook are always served fresh and warm, even during the Kanchenjunga camping trek. Lunch will be prepared fresh on the short walking days or carried on the longer days.

Although the options for food during the camping trek in Nepal are limited, it will be quite a blessing to get warm food with such an absurd attitude. If you have a specific preference for food, you must inform the guide before you leave Kathmandu so that the food can be arranged and prepared accordingly.

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek Food Cost

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek food costs about $6 to $9 per meal. Breakfast can cost around $4 to $6; however, the cost might increase as we trek to higher altitudes.

This sums to about $25 to $30 each day and makes a large portion of the Kanchenjunga trekking cost. All these costs are already included in your Himalayan Masters Kanchenjunga trekking package.

There’s no restriction on what you can order on the trek as long as it is available on the menu. You can just look at the menu and order any item that you like.

Useful Tips/ Food hacks

Your trip package covers the cost of 3 meals and 3 times tea/coffee during the trek. However, this trek takes you to remote and rugged villages, where even the basic food options are difficult to find.

Therefore, it is essential to have all the information on accommodation in Kanchenjunga Trek and their food menu.

Some of the useful tips on food are listed below.

• Carrying your own snacks helps you save a lot of dollars
• Make sure that you order fulfilling meals so that you only need to order one item from the menu. Ordering several foods costs more money.
• Although the menu has all kinds of national and international cuisine, the taste of foreign food might not be as per your expectation. So, it’s safe to order Nepalese and Indian cuisine.
• Don’t keep all of your food in the trekking bag carried by the Porter. Since supporters might not be with you during the daytime, you need to carry an extra handbag where you shall keep the food for the day.
• Food with higher water content and fruits are suggested during the trek. Garlic and honey drinks help you fight altitude sickness to a great extent.
• Eat foods that are easily digestible.
• Do not eat meat as you trek at higher altitudes. It is difficult to digest, and they do not have a proper refrigeration system.

Final Thoughts for Kanchenjunga Trekkers

This article was just a brief about food during the Kanchenjunga trek. Himalayan Masters have prepared a detailed guide about food, accommodation, permits, and weather in Kanchenjunga in a different article.

If you are heading for the Kanchenjunga circuit trek anytime soon, please go through all of these articles and let us know if they were helpful. You can always mail us for general inquiries or book your trip through email at [email protected].