Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin’s first State visit to India came with a distinctly Himalayan flavour on Monday evening, 5 October, as President Droupadi Murmu hosted him and First Lady Caroline Parmelin to a special banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
While the day’s diplomatic engagements focused on trade, technology, defence and strategic cooperation, the dinner offered Parmelin a culinary tour of and Ladakh, with the menu bringing together traditional recipes, regional ingredients and lesser-known preparations from the belt.
The meal began with Za Thuk, a Ladakhi wild nettle soup prepared with winter peas and roasted millet pearls. It was served alongside an assortment of breads.
The salad course, Labo-Na Tsonma, highlighted the distinctive cheese-making traditions of the .
It combined labo and chhurpi from Ladakh with kalari from Jammu, along with dried apple, walnuts and wild capers. The preparation was dressed with sea buckthorn and honey and served with buckwheat and foxtail crackers, chuli (apricot) jam and a yoghurt dip flavoured with skotse or wild garlic chives.
The menu then moved into a mix of traditional preparations and regional street food.
Kimb Chaat, described as a street-food delicacy, featured boiled taro root and sweet potatoes with rice-flour crispies, sweetened yoghurt, tamarind sauce and starfruit. Another highlight was Nadur Kebab (lotus stem) with Dooyn Chetin (Walnut condiment).
From came Phorok Nangka, a charcoal-roasted whole-wheat ‘mok mok’ dumpling stuffed with turnip greens and caper leaves, served with a tomato-onion relish.
The main course offered a deeper dive into Kashmiri cuisine. Chaman Qaliya featured cottage cheese cooked in a delicately spiced milk and turmeric sauce, while Haakh brought seasonal collard greens stewed with mustard oil and asafoetida.
Dum Olav, a staple, paired potatoes with yoghurt, dry ginger and fennel. Tsok Wangun featured baby eggplant cooked in a tangy sauce flavoured with cloves, ginger and fennel.
The rice course included Kana Gucch Pulao, a fragrant preparation of Kashmiri morels and whole spices. It was served with Mujj Chatni, made with white radish and freshly churned yoghurt, alongside traditional Sheermal and Katlam breads.
Dessert was also based on the regional theme. Shufta combined stewed dried dates, cashews, raisins, and coconut, while Phirin was a semolina-and-milk pudding flavoured with saffron, cardamom, and dried fruits.
Fresh fruits were served at the end of the meal.
Guests could finish with Kahwa, flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron, or Gur Gur Chai, the traditional butter tea of Ladakh. Wild rose tea was also offered.
The banquet followed Parmelin’s talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, where the two sides discussed trade and investment, defence production, nuclear energy, infrastructure, mobility, science and technology, as well as health, clean energy, space, Yoga and Ayurveda.
Murmu also highlighted the opportunities created by the Trade and Partnership Agreement and said Swiss companies could explore emerging sectors, including clean technology and artificial intelligence.
Parmelin is on a three-day State visit to India from 5 October to 7. It is his first State visit to the country and his second visit this year, following his attendance at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February.
With inputs from ANI.
