What Is Thukpa? The Himalayan Noodle Soup, Explained

Thukpa is a Himalayan noodle soup: noodles in a hot, spiced broth with chicken, buffalo, mutton or vegetables. It comes from Tibet and is everyday food across Nepal, Bhutan and northeast India. The broth is built on ginger, garlic and tomato, it's warming rather than hot, and it's exactly what you want on a cold, wet day.

The word itself just means noodle soup in Tibetan, so there's no single correct recipe. Every family and every kitchen makes its own. Here's what goes into it, how the Nepali version differs, and how it compares to the noodle soups you might already know.

What's in thukpa?

Every bowl has three parts.

• The broth. This is where the flavour lives. Bones or vegetables simmered with ginger, garlic, onion and tomato, then seasoned with cumin, turmeric and sometimes timmur, Nepal's tingly cousin of Sichuan pepper. It should be clear enough to see the noodles through, but savoury enough to drink on its own.
• The noodles. Plain wheat noodles. In Tibet they are often made by hand. In Nepali kitchens they are usually dried egg noodles, cooked separately so they don't turn the broth starchy.
• The topping. Chicken, buffalo, mutton or a mix of vegetables like cabbage, carrot, capsicum and spinach, finished with spring onion and fresh coriander.

Where it comes from

Thukpa started on the Tibetan plateau, where a bowl of hot broth and noodles is about the most practical meal there is at altitude. It travelled south with Tibetan traders and, later, Tibetan refugees, into Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Ladakh and Bhutan. Each place adapted it. That's the same route momos took into Nepal, which is why the two usually share a menu.

Types of thukpa

• Gyathuk: thukpa with long, thin noodles, closest to what most restaurants serve.
• Thenthuk: the noodle dough is pulled into flat pieces and torn straight into the pot. Chewier and more rustic.
• Bhatuk: tiny rolled noodle shapes, a winter dish in Tibetan homes.
• Nepali thukpa: spicier and more tomato-forward than the Tibetan versions, often with buffalo, and with chilli on the side. It's the one we make.

Is thukpa spicy?

Not by default. Ginger, garlic and cumin make it warming, and that gentle heat sits in the back of your throat rather than on your tongue. The real chilli is usually added at the table, so you control it. If you're wary of heat, thukpa is one of the safest things on a Nepali menu.

Thukpa vs ramen vs pho

All three are noodles in broth, but they taste very different.

• Ramen is Japanese. Springy alkaline noodles, a rich and often fatty broth, a concentrated seasoning called tare, and set toppings like soft egg and pork.
• Pho is Vietnamese. Rice noodles in a clear beef broth perfumed with star anise and cinnamon, finished at the table with herbs, lime and bean sprouts.
• Thukpa is Himalayan. Plain wheat noodles in a lighter broth that tastes of ginger, garlic and tomato, more like a spiced home soup than a restaurant showpiece.

If you like pho for its clean broth and ramen for its comfort, thukpa sits neatly between them.

Is thukpa healthy?

As takeaway goes, it's one of the lighter things you can order. It's mostly broth, lean meat or vegetables and a sensible amount of noodles, with no cream and nothing deep fried. The veg version is vegetarian. The one thing to watch is salt, as with any restaurant soup.

How to eat it

Hot, and quickly, before the noodles soften. Use chopsticks or a fork for the noodles and a spoon for the broth, and drink what's left from the bowl. Taste it before you add chilli. Thukpa and a plate of momos is the classic Kathmandu pairing: dip a momo in the achar, then chase it with broth.

Where to get thukpa in Auckland

We make three versions at Snax: chicken thukpa, buff thukpa in a slow buffalo broth, and veg thukpa in a clear spiced broth. If it's your first bowl, start with chicken. If you want the Nepali version at its fullest, go for buff. You'll find all three on the menu, and you can order for pickup or delivery from our shop on Commerce Street in Auckland CBD, two minutes from Britomart.