Sikkimese food trail around Lal Market
Lal Market, below MG Marg, is where Gangtok shops. Look for blocks of hard churpi made from yak or cow milk, soft fresh cheese, gundruk and sinki (fermented leafy greens and radish), round dalle chillies, bamboo shoots, local ginger and large cardamom from East Sikkim farms. Traders are used to curious visitors and will explain what things are.
Then eat. Order phagshapa, pork fat stewed with radish and dried chilli; sha phaley, a fried bread stuffed with meat; gundruk soup; and momos with sharp tomato and chilli chutney. Finish with a plate of sel roti, the ring-shaped rice bread, and butter tea or sweet milk tea.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Is Lal Market open every day?
Lal Market is open most days from morning to early evening, but some stalls close on Thursdays and on public holidays. Mornings are busiest and best for fresh produce. The market building has been renovated in recent years, and some traders have moved to nearby buildings, so ask locally if a stall is missing.
Are vegetarians well served in Gangtok?
Yes. Vegetable and cheese momos, thukpa, gundruk soup, dal-rice thalis and churpi dishes are easy to find, and many restaurants run separate vegetarian kitchens. Sikkimese food leans on pork and beef in some dishes, so ask what a stew contains before ordering if you avoid meat.
Can I take churpi or dalle chillies home?
Yes, both travel well. Hard churpi keeps for months and is sold in vacuum packs in Lal Market. Dalle chilli is also sold as pickle in sealed jars, which is easier to carry than fresh chillies. Check airline rules for liquids if you are flying with pickle jars in cabin baggage.
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