ABSTRACT
The agro-climatic conditions of the Himalayas vary from hot sub-humid tropical in the southern low tracts to temperate, cold alpine and glacial in the northern high mountains, due to their various sub-ecological locations, elevation and topography. The Himalayan regions are genetic resources of many indigenous varieties of agricultural plants. Ethnic foods are generally categorised into fermented foods including alcoholic beverages and non-fermented foods. The Himalayan ethnic foods have evolved as a result of traditional wisdom and experiences of generations over a period of time, based on agro-climatic conditions, availability of edible sources, ethnic preference, customary beliefs, religion, socio-economy, regional politics, cultural practices, and taboo or social ban imposed by different rulers time to time. Invention of biopreservation methods by the ethnic people of the Himalayan regions through pit fermentation or lactic acid fermentation is significant. Food culture of the Himalayas is unique and is a fusion of soybean-alcohol consuming Chinese culture from the north, and milk-vegetables eating Hindu culture from the south. The chapter describes various fermented food culture of the Himalayas. The fermented food-items are also presented in tabular form for reader’s convenience.
