Hunza food in particular is rich in flavor and variety, and it’s totally different from anything you can find in other parts of the country. Aside from its tasty recipes, the Hunza Valley diet overall is blessed with organic, homegrown fruits and veggies which are fed by streams from the many, many nearby glaciers. Unlike traditional Pakistani cuisine, Hunza Valley dishes are typically served spice-free. While you might feel the need to add them in, try to embrace the special flavors that shine through in each recipe.
11 Iconic Hunza Valley Foods
You can’t visit Hunza Valley and miss out on these traditional and tasty dishes. Let’s get into them!
1. Chapshuro |
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Chapshuro is a crustless Hunza pie that’s filled with ground meat, spices, onions, and other goodies. You simply cannot visit the places in Hunza without seeing and trying this dish. Chapshuros are often touted as “Hunza Pizza” but, personally, I find them to be more akin to Mexican tacos and quesadillas. No Italian pizza similarities here! Chapshuros are shaped like half-circles and are stuffed with piping-hot minced beef, mutton or traditionally: yak meat. The meat is then paired with a relatively simple mixture of chopped onions, coriander, chilies, and small tomatoes before being folded into dough and then lightly fried. In homes, chapshuros are much more elaborate in delicious as they’re typically baked in local ovens instead of pan-fried. I’ve been lucky enough to try both and… wow. While upscale restaurants in Karimabad (a must-visit on your Pakistan itinerary) sell these for near 1000 PKR, the tastiest chapshuros in Hunza can be found at modest street stalls. You can also find delicious chapshuros from street food sellers near the Rakaposhi Viewpoint in neighboring Nagar.
2. Gyaling/Gral |
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Gyaling and gral both refer to the same Hunza food: a thin, stretchy wheat bread that looks like a bunch of pancakes. This dish is typically served in a stack and is dipped in the much-loved ingredient of apricot oil and/or butter from local cows. This yellow oil is expensive in most of the world, yet is just one of the many such ingredients that exist in abundance throughout Hunza. Gyaling/Gral is typically eaten with breakfast and is always served with Hunza-style namkeen (salty) or herbal chai.
3. Buroshapik/Ghilmindi |
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Ghilmindi is another piece of Hunza cuisine that you certainly won’t be able to try at home. Wheat chapatis are pan-fried, cut into triangles, and then stuffed with a yogurty-cheese mixture straight from cows. Coriander, mint and onions are mixed in, and sometimes apricot oil can make an appearance too. It’s also common for people to put nuts or shavings of nuts both inside and on top.
4. Dirum Fiti |
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Like harissa, diram pitti isn’t eaten frequently and is mostly reserved for local festivals and other celebrations. It incorporates a whole lot of wheat but is sweet overall thanks to almonds and apricot seed oil. Diram Pitti is typically soft, brownish, and is typically eaten with breakfast or lunch.
5. Tumoro Tea |
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Tumoro is an aromatic plant found in Hunza which is used to make this delicious herbal blend. Also known as Wild Thyme, the tea is typically yellow in color and prepared the same way any other tea is. However, Tumoro tea doesn’t just taste good. This Hunza tea also has a host of health benefits. From stress reduction to improved circulation AND an immune system boost, don’t miss out on your chance to try (and buy!) this tea while visiting the valley.
6. Hoilo Garma |
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Hoilo Garma is my absolute favorite Hunza Valley food item and one you’ll find hard not to like. The delicious and nutritious dish consists of dough made with organic flour, which is then mixed with locally grown spinach and aloo. It basically tastes like the alfredo pasta dish you didn’t even know you needed. What really makes hoilo garma so special for me is the fact that it’s usually sprinkled with chopped apricot seeds, which give it a cheesy taste without even a speck of cheese being used. If you’re traveling to Pakistan from abroad, definitely give hoilo garma a try if you’re missing Western eats!
7. Buttering Doudo |
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Buttering doudo is a traditional Hunza soup primarily eaten during winter. What makes this dish extra special is its incorporation of dried apricots. The apricots, which are famous in the region, are combined with sugar water and lemon to prepare this unique soup. While there are other versions of doudo, none conjure up flavors quite like this. Hunza Valley apricots are famous all throughout Pakistan, and they add more than just taste. Buttering doudo in particular is revered for its assistance in improving constipation and colds, while also being an immune system booster. You can grab a bowl in Karimabad after visiting the Baltit Fort, one of the most iconic landmarks in Asia.
8. Harissa |
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Typically prepared for both marriages and deaths, harissa is one of the rarer items on this list as you deff won’t be able to come across it every day. Even so, from Chapursan Valley to Karimabad, you can find it anywhere there is an event. A filling combination of wheat, rice, and lentils, harissa has an unusual taste and is sometimes served with chunks of meat mixed in. I’d say harissa has similar vibes to haleem but gives off a very distinct wheat-y taste.
9. Molida |
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This traditional Hunza Valley food is popular in both Central Hunza and Gojal and is slightly similar to macaroni and cheese. Molida is made by mixing small pieces of wheat shapik (the local word for bread) with milk, butter, and apricot oil which really gives the dish its special flavor. The many pieces of shapik end up tasting like noodles, and the milk, apricot oil, and butter are mixed right up and served hot, making for an ideal comfort-food meal.
10. Yak meat |
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Yak is very similar to beef, but bursting with a bit more flavor. I guess that makes sense since yaks are just extra-special cows. You can find yak meat in dishes like chapshuro, and also in bbq form paired with naan and dahi. You can even enjoy yak steaks and burgers at my fave restaurant in Hunza, the Yak Grill. If you don’t want to eat yak but want to encounter them, the remote Shimshal Valley has a LOT of these furry friends.
11. Pitti |
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A staple in any Hunza household, pitti is simply wheat bread baked in a traditional stove known as bukhari. Bukhari are small, portable fireplaces that can be used for baking, as well as any other type of cooking. The bread itself has been eaten for nearly 2000 years and is typically made simply from buckwheat flour. Pitti is rich in nutrients, and gives people fuel for hours. Historically, this was (and still is!) particularly an energy booster for field or animal work. What makes this Hunza bread unique is that it’s not typically eaten hot. It’s usually baked early in the morning, and let to harden before it’s eaten throughout the day.
Best Local Restaurants for Hunza Food
If you’re really looking to sample Hunza cuisine, it doesn’t get any better than in a local home! Not that many restaurants serve the dishes, and many that do charge outrageous prices. But never fear, good options do exist!
Here are some of my favorite Hunza restaurants that serve traditional food while keeping rates reasonable.
Yak Grill (Passu)
I don’t think I can do the Yak Grill justice, but I’ll try. As an American, I’ve eaten a LOT of burgers. Like a whole lot. And not a single one of those even comes close to the culinary magic of the yak burger served at the Yak Grill.
Opened in 2020, the small restaurant packs a big punch. Aside from their famous burgers, they also make yak steaks, and yak alfredo pasta.
And while it might not be as cheap as some of the other places, but y’all, this flavor is worth every single Rupee. It is no exaggeration the best burger I’ve ever tried in my entire life!
Highland Cuisine (Karimabad)
Most people know about the Hunza Food Pavillion (which I’ll get into) but did you know there’s another woman-run food business in Hunza?
Highland Cuisine is a small, relatively new restaurant run by a local woman and her husband.
They’re not always open, but when they are, hoilo garma, chapshuro, doudo and more are all on the menu!
Hunza Food Pavillion (Karimabad)
The Hunza Food Pavillion, located right next to the Baltit Fort in Karimabad, is the most famous Hunza food joint around.
Run by a Hunzai woman named Laal Shehzadi, all food is prepared fresh and you can sample all cuisine on the cheap.
My personal faves here are the molida and the berekutz, which are fried cheese dumplings.
Bozlanj Cafe (Gulmit)
In Gojal, also known as Upper Hunza, lies this delicious restaurant that is also run by badass women!
The Bozlanj Cafe is located in the village of Gulmit, and has slightly different food names and offerings than the Central Hunza eateries.
Prices are very reasonable, and taste is delish. Try out the gral and ghilmindi here!
Credits: Samantha
(This is what an international travel blogger has to say about local food. Thank you Samantha for your love and support for Pakistan.)
Restaurants and Cafes near the Main Arena of the Festival of the North:
| Sr. No | Restaurants | Location |
| 1 | Behram Resturant | https://goo.gl/maps/bYHvM8hWS2JTUCrA8 |
| 2 | Highway Food Point | https://goo.gl/maps/tjoDch6VNsRoGMNP8 |
| 3 | New Gulbatur Restaurant | https://goo.gl/maps/qSQ9uxGVqnFG1EYE7 |
| 4 | Cafe De Passu | https://goo.gl/maps/Xhyv6ZdZSUiUYsFPA |
| 5 | Yak Grill | https://goo.gl/maps/orqEPJff2MmwcmkM8 |
| 6 | Glacier Breeze | https://goo.gl/maps/9tKgANGsKddaBXmS8 |
| 7 | Khyber Ibex Restaurant | https://goo.gl/maps/aNdr2VH9NCmN7eA88 |
| 8 | Hidden Paradise Hunza | https://g.page/HiddenParadiseHunza?share |
| 9 | Pizza Pamir | https://goo.gl/maps/PLKQqDSFoWd6S4Ch6 |
| 10 | Gingerfort Cafe | https://goo.gl/maps/eyVv9euDDcsXr5FFA |