Following the Wazwan Trail – A Reason to Visit Kashmir in the Summer

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The lip-smacking rogan josh from the Wazwan, quaint houseboats on the Dal Lake, the flower sellers’ canoes heaving with colours and snow-capped mountains - that’s the picture postcard Kashmir for you. Its bucolic charms influence visitors with an unparalleled sense of bonhomie and a visit can divide your life into ‘Before Kashmir’ and ‘After Kashmir’. But if you visit Kashmir and come back without an overdose of its extravagant Wazwan cuisine, your trip has not been worthwhile!

Both robust and delicate at the same time, the Wazwan cuisine fits the imposing beauty of Kashmir like a kid-glove on lily-white hands. If the way to one’s heart is through food, then Wazwan is a one-way street to paradise. So promise yourself an unforgettable vacation and hit the Wazwan trail in the stunning Kashmir in summer.

A Lavish Feast

Wazwan is the traditional Kashmiri Muslim multi-course meal (36 to be precise!); the art has been passed down generations and recipes are guarded zealously. The entire process of serving and eating the meal is a ritual where guests are grouped into four and presented with the food served on a large plate called tarami. The meal is a gastronomic superlative with the tarami piled high with rice and a variety of dishes where each one competes with the others in taste. It would be a tough choice with so many delicacies in front of you, but some must-try dishes include tabak maaz, aab gosht, rista, goshtaba, nadru yakhni and phirni. The meal ends with the soothing Kahwah, the traditional Kashmiri tea laced with cardamom and almond. Go for it like there’s no tomorrow!

Chasing Wazwan

Kashmir is filled with beautiful places where you can sample the local food.

Srinagar: Some of the top choices for sampling Wazwan in Kashmir’s summer capital are - Mughal Darbar and Ahadoos, on the banks of the Jhelum River, Shamyana Restaurant on the Boulevard Dal Lake and the Wazwan thali at Kareema Restaurant on Residency Road. Even better, try to get invited to a local Kashmiri wedding (or gatecrash a lá 3 Idiots!)

Sonmarg: Located around 80 kilometers from Srinagar, Sonmarg is a trekker’s paradise, with its lakes, snowy mountains and forests. While most restaurants and hotels provide delicious Kashmiri fare, head to the stalls in the main market where you can sample some typical Kashmiri food, served piping hot by the local vendors.

Pahalgam: The dense pine and cedar forests and the pure mountain air is enough to get your tummy growling for some heavy duty Kashmiri food. Volga Restaurant, on Pahalgam Road offers some amazing Wazwan dishes as well as refreshing Kahwah. Located right in the center of the town, Paradise Restaurant serves some of the best Wazwan feasts in town.

Gulmarg: Mention Gulmarg and powder white snow and skiing come to mind. Glide down its slopes to head straight to Khaleel Palace, located close to the Gondola or the Sarposh Restaurant for some memorable Wazwan dishes.

Stay Safe

Kashmir welcomes an ever increasing number of Indian and foreign tourists every year and though disturbances occur occasionally, these rarely affect tourists. Still, we’d want you to stay safe and here are some pointers on how to stay out of trouble and firmly in the path of your Wazwan trail:

- Get a grip on the current political and local situation before heading to Kashmir in summer. Or whenever.

- Unless you know the state well, plan your trip with a reputed agency that will take care of your travel and accommodation

- Be smart. Avoid travelling at odd hours and venturing into conflict zones

Do these OR…pig out so much on rogan josh and phirni that you can’t move an inch out of your hotel room!

So, are you ready to travel to Kashmir for the delicious food? Plan you trip today and book flights and hotels only on MakeMyTrip.com!