momos & more

Many say Momos were original to Nepal, some say it came from the North, where did it actually come from and why do Nepalese and now the world love Momos so much, let’s find out.

Momo gets its name from the Newari language, one of the oldest dialects in Nepal, which even named the country – Ne Pa, which means a place where you get a lot of wool. In Newari, ‘mome’ means to steam cook. Momos were introduced to Nepal in the early 14th century by the Newars of Kathmandu Valley, and later to the entire country and our Northern neighbours. Kathmandu was a popular site and destination for the Tibetan traders, they would bring us salt and corals to buy our spices. But it looks like the trade was not limited only to this and there was some culinary exchange done as well. Apparently, in the late 15th century, a Nepalese Princess was married to a Tibetan King who officially introduced Momos to Tibet and China where it found its Northern home and became popular as Mog Mog in Tibet and Dim Sums or Wontons or even Momo in China depending upon the region. Momos are popular in the western world as dumplings.