Interesting Facts about momos

The history of momo in Nepal is ancient. It goes back to as early as the fourteenth century. It was initially an authentic Newari food consumed in the Kathmandu valley, and it was later introduced to Tibet, China, etc. Now it has gone as far as Japan. This transmission was possible because a Nepalese princess married a Tibetan king in the late fifteenth century.

Interesting Facts about momos

The china-Tibet war led momo to India : It is widely believed that the Tibetans started a revolt against the anti-religious communist government of China in 1959, and The Chinese troops overpowered the Tibetans. The Tibetans flee to India as refugees among His Holiness ‘the 13th Dalai Lama’. When Tibetans came to India, they brought the delicious and original recipe of momos.

Origin of Momos : There is another theory that says momo was already in India before 1959. It was originally from Tibet, but it came to some parts of Assam, Sikkim, and North Bengal from migration in the past. The recipes were often passed down via generation.

Chinese word : Momo is a Chinese word, and it means steamed dumpling. It was steamed and fried in different parts of the country and according to the various social statuses of people. The rich enjoyed the fried momos, the not-so-rich enjoyed steamed momos, and on a special occasion, everybody enjoyed some delicious fried momos.

Varieties : The fate of delicious food is its transformation and adjustment in ingredients recipes according to cultural needs. You can pick up any food in history that got worldwide recognition. It will taste completely different in different parts of the world. The same thing happened to momo. It was originally from Tibet, and it had a recipe that tastes good to the mouths of Tibetans, but as we had mentioned before, with the help of a Tibetan princess, when it went to China, it took a new form, and when it came to India, we knew its fate.

Fate of momos in India : As India is a multi-cultural land, it took several forms throughout India. If you travel down south and taste the momos there, you will find the momos a little spicy. This is because the spiciness is enshrined in the culture. If you move up north, the momos will taste different. It is believed that the momos made in Shillong have the best taste among all the varieties out there. No matter what, we will love momos despite their type.

The three types of : Based on the way momos are prepared, there are three types of momos. The steamed momos are prepared by boiling. It has its unique tastes, and some like steamed momos over other types of momos. The second one is fried momos. Fried momos are undoubtedly the most popular momos, at least in India.

Pan fried : The third type of momos is pan-fried momos. Pan-fried momos, as the name suggests, are fried in a pan. Which is better depends on who you are. If you are health conscious, first of all, you should not touch momos. The reasons will be mentioned in the later parts of this article.

Secrets behind : If you are craving it, it is generally believed to have steamed momos instead of fried momos. There are several reasons for this. One of the reasons is that steamed momos have fewer calories than fried momos. It is recommended to avoid fried momos and steamed momos because the steamed momos have at least 15-20 calories less than the fried momos.

Chili sauce: It is also advised to avoid the regular chili sauce that comes with the momos because that chili sauce contains a high amount of sodium and oil as the base of it. Steamed momos are healthier and can be consumed instead of salad, but this is very controversial because some food experts believe it does not matter which type of Momo you want to have. Momos are the worst food you can have, as far as health is concerned.

The traditional steamer: Out of the different types of momos, the steamed momos were originally steamed with the help of a traditional steamer in Tibet and China. This streamer is called ‘mucktoo.’ Much too are the metal utensils with holes on their base. Much too is not the only steamer that was used. The people living the tribal life also used to have momos, and the momos are mostly steamed momos. The momos are steamed with the help of a bamboo steamer.

Bamboo steamer: A bamboo steamer is made using bamboo and made in the shape of a utensil, and the bamboo is woven together to create a lid that closes the top. We cannot say it is better than a metal utensil, but it does have its advantage. When momos are steamed, it vaporizes the water. When the lid is made up of metal, the water vapor condenses back to the water, but when the lid is made up of bamboo, the water vapor is absorbed by the bamboo, so it steams better.

Calorie in one momo: One vegetarian momo has a total calorie of 35 calories, approximately 2% of the daily calories required for the body. One momo has 35 calories of energy. The carbohydrate accounts for 16 calories, the protein accounts for 2 calories, and the remaining calories come from fat which is 16 calories.

Burn calories: These many calories can be burned by walking which is six kmph for 11 minutes or by running which is 11 kmph for 4 minutes or by cycling which is 30 kmph for 5 minutes or by swimming which is two kmph for 6 minutes.

Similarity : The momos have different names based on the shapes. It is similar to various dishes in other countries. It is identical to the Chinese Baozi and Jiaozi, The Mongolian dish Buuz, The Japanese dish Gyoza, The Afghan dish Mantu. In Mauritius, it is known as Dimsum and Korean Mandu.

Overseas: Momos are becoming very popular, and they have traveled as far as the USA and UK and are becoming hugely popular there. So, it has a universal appeal as a food.

The Kathmandu magic: In Kathmandu, there is a famous restaurant, and it is called ‘The Gangri Sui Mai’. This restaurant is trendy because of its uniquely created open-shaped momos. These momos became popular because one can quickly pour in any sauce they like: tomato, chili, peanuts, etc.

The Ugly truth: There are some researches where researchers found that the fillings inside momos sold on the streets are of very bad quality. These are often made up of diseased and already dead chickens, and the vendors also get them at a meager price.

MSG: Momos contain a dangerous chemical complex called MSG. MSG is a short form of Momo-sodium Glutamate. This leads to obesity; obese persons should avoid momos as far as possible. This chemical complex not only creates obesity but also is responsible for several other health issues like nervous disorders, sweating, chest pain, nausea, and palpitation.