Local Food to Try in Gilgit Baltistan
From Chapshuro to Mamtu: a culinary journey through the mountains of Pakistan.
The food of Gilgit Baltistan is as distinctive as its landscape — hearty mountain dishes shaped by apricots, walnuts and centuries of Silk Road exchange. Here are the local foods to try across Hunza, Skardu and the wider region.
Savoury must-tries
Start with chapshuro, a savoury bread stuffed with spiced minced meat and onions, and mamtu, steamed meat dumplings. Harissa, a slow-cooked meat and wheat dish, and local Gilgiti and Balti pulao are also regional staples.
Apricots, walnuts & mulberries
Apricots are the signature ingredient — eaten fresh, dried, pressed into oil and even used in soups and stews. Walnuts appear in cakes and breads, and summer brings sweet mulberries straight from the trees.
Drinks & tea
Try the salty, butter-rich mountain tea (cha), a warming staple in Balti and Hunza homes, along with local herbal teas and the famously pure glacial water of the valleys.
Where to eat
The cafés of Karimabad in Hunza and the local restaurants of Skardu are the easiest places to sample traditional dishes — and an invitation to a local home, if it comes, is the best meal of all.
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