Traditional cuisines from Himachal Pradesh are set to grace the diplomatic dining table at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with mountain delicacies — including the rare and globally prized guchhi morel mushroom — now being introduced to the menu served to visiting dignitaries and elite guests, following a week-long culinary training programme conducted by Himachal Pradesh's acclaimed government chef Nand Lal Sharma.

How It Came About

The President's Secretariat formally invited Sharma, Consultant (Food and Beverage) with Himachal Tourism and President of the Himachal Chef Association, to train cooks at Rashtrapati Bhavan in authentic Himachali preparations. The invitation followed a letter dated 16 July from the President's office to the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director, requesting Sharma's deputation. The missive noted that during President Droupadi Murmu's recent visit to Mashobra, Shimla, her office had found Sharma to possess 'great expertise in local cuisines' and that the President had been 'highly appreciative' of his cooking.

Sharma confirmed the assignment, calling it 'a profound honour and a truly humbling experience to showcase our food cultures that will help connect communities across the Himalayan state.'

What Was Cooked and Served

During his week-long stay at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Sharma prepared dishes from the Kangra and Mandi regions — locally referred to as Kangri and Mandiali cuisines — using local ingredients, slow-cooking techniques, and recipes rooted in generational tradition. Food was served on pattals (broad leaf plates), with rice presented first, followed by successive rounds of other dishes, in keeping with hill customs.

The traditional Mandiali spread included rajmah, kale chane ka khatta, maa ki dal cooked with generous amounts of desi ghee, karahi, sepu vadi, kaddu ka mitha, and rice. The Kangra Valley multi-course meal featured mandra, mahni, maah, chana dal, budane ka mitha, rainthla, and meethe chawal — the region's signature sweet-spiced fragrant rice dessert.

Sharma also trained four cooks at Rashtrapati Bhavan, including one personal chef of President Murmu. The President, who follows a strict vegetarian diet without onion or garlic, was particularly taken with bathu ki kheer — a dessert made from chenopodium seeds grown at high altitude — and sepu vadi, urad dal dumplings simmered in curd gravy. The guchhi recipe, however, was reportedly her favourite.

The Guchhi: A Himalayan Delicacy on the World Stage

Guchhi, scientifically known as Morchella Esculenta, is a morel mushroom variety that grows naturally on snowy slopes across dense deodar forests in the interiors of Shimla, Chamba, Kullu, and Mandi districts. It ranks among the world's most prized and expensive mushrooms. Villagers are permitted by the Forest Department to collect it as 'minor forest produce', though its trade remains unregulated, making overall production estimates unavailable.

The Dham Tradition

Central to Himachali culinary identity is the dham — a traditional, multi-course saatvik (purely vegetarian) feast served on special occasions such as weddings and festivals. Diners sit on the ground together and eat without cutlery, in a communal setting. Dham is prepared by Bhotis, the Brahmin cook community that has safeguarded this tradition for generations, using vessels made predominantly of copper or brass.

'For us, Himachali food is soul-rooted in Himalayan cultures,' Sharma said, adding that preserving its authenticity while 'showcasing culinary diversity of the mountain communities on the diplomatic table' was the purpose of his visit. Sharma, formerly chief chef at Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla, brings both institutional expertise and deep familiarity with the region's food heritage to the role. The introduction of Himachali cuisine at Rashtrapati Bhavan marks a meaningful step in India's cultural diplomacy, placing the Himalayan state's food traditions in front of the country's most distinguished international guests.