✍️ Lieutenant. Preeti Mohan
A Diet Rooted in Home
Many Hunza families grow their own food. Vegetables, fruits, dairy—even meat—often come from the yard or nearby farms. Spices are barely used; instead, herbs like mint and coriander, along with minimal salt, provide flavour. Sweets are rare; sugar appears only with great restraint. Tea, a daily ritual, is usually taken with only salt and sometimes a pinch of black pepper—a custom that may surprise outsiders, but one that perfectly illustrates a way of life centered on authenticity and health.
Fruits are abundant: cherries, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, mulberries, figs, pomegranates, walnuts, and almonds flourish in Hunza’s orchards. Dairy products, butter from local cows, eggs from indigenous chickens—all bring freshness and depth to meals.
Signature Dishes: Honouring Tradition
Hunza’s culinary heritage is rich with dishes prepared only on special occasions or as snacks. Here are some of the most beloved:
Mulida / Burush Shapik
– Two flatbreads or tortillas layered with a mix of yogurt, mint, coriander, spring onion.
– Topped with almond or walnut oil.
– Both dishes use the same ingredients, but presentation differs.
Chap Shuro (Chapshuro)
– A meat-stuffed bread, similar to a thin flatbread or pie, but cooked without oil.
– Filled with minced meat or chicken, sometimes with vegetables.
– Shaped like a pastry, then cooked on a pan.
Dowdo (Daodo)
– A hearty soup made with meat or chicken.
– Contains homemade noodles.
– A full meal, especially comforting in cold weather.
Dry Apricot Soup
– Dried apricots boiled into a warm, flavorful soup.
– Often enriched with homemade noodles in winter.
– Nutritious and energy-giving.
Arzok / Fitti / Shero
– Bread variations made with wheat flour, milk, butter, and eggs.
– Arzok is fried; Fitti or Shero are simpler, cooked on a griddle.
– Shero often prepared without yeast.
Giyalin / Go-Lee / Gral
– Thin crepe- or pancake-like breads, made without yeast.
– Typically served with butter or almond/apricot oil.
– Light, wholesome, and traditional.
The Hunza Way: Health, Longevity, and Sustainability
What strikes many visitors is the Hunza approach to food: minimal processing, limited spices, almost no refined sugar, home-grown produce, and heavy reliance on dairy and healthy oils (like almond, apricot, or walnut).
According to some accounts, the Hunza people’s longevity—stories speak of life spans well over 100—is attributed in part to their diet rich in fruits, nuts, whole grains, and dairy, combined with low levels of industrial food consumption. While some claims need scientific verification, what is clear is that their traditional diet provides rich nutrition with minimal harmful additives.
Agriculture in Hunza supports nearly all food needs—vegetables, fruit trees, livestock for milk and meat—leading to a sustainable food supply that is less dependent on external markets. This self-reliance has been central to the valley’s culture for centuries.
Beyond the Harvest: Food as Community
Food in Hunza isn’t just fuel. It’s woven into social gatherings, festive occasions, and family identity. The dishes you eat aren’t daily staples but markers of celebration—deeply respected recipes that connect people to their ancestors. From the preparation of Chapshuro during festivals to sharing Dowdo or a dry apricot soup on unpredictable winter nights, each dish carries emotional weight.
Even the way tea is drunk—with salt or pepper instead of sugar—reflects values of simplicity, discipline, and a deep-rooted bond with the land.
Hunza’s food culture, at its core, is a celebration of soil, self-sufficiency, and slow, mindful eating. It teaches us that richness doesn’t come from complexity, but from care—of land, of tradition, of every ingredient. In a world increasingly overwhelmed by processed tastes and artificial flavours, the simplicity of Hunza stands not only as culinary heritage, but as a quiet, nourishing form of resistance.