President Droupadi Murmu welcomed Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin and First Lady Caroline Parmelin to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday evening, October 5, 2026, with a spectacular state banquet. The dinner celebrated the rich culinary heritage of India's Himalayan regions, featuring a meticulously curated menu from Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
A Taste of the Himalayas: From Soup to Salad
The culinary journey commenced with Za Thuk, a traditional Ladakhi wild nettle soup, prepared with winter peas and roasted millet pearls, served alongside an assortment of breads. This was followed by Labo-Na Tsonma, a distinctive salad highlighting the cheese-making traditions of Ladakh and Jammu, combining local cheeses like labo, chhurpi, and kalari. The salad was garnished with dried apple, walnuts, wild capers, and dressed with sea buckthorn and honey, accompanied by buckwheat crackers and Ladakhi chuli (apricot) jam.
Appetizers and Street Food Delights
The appetizer course offered a fusion of traditional and street-food influences from the two regions. Guests savored Kimb Chaat, a Jammu street food delicacy featuring boiled taro root and sweet potatoes with rice-flour crispies, sweetened yoghurt, and tamarind sauce. Also on the menu was Nadur Kebab with Dooyn Chetin, lotus-stem patties seasoned with aromatic Kashmiri spices and served with walnut chutney. From Ladakh, Phorok Nangka, charcoal-roasted whole-wheat dumplings stuffed with turnip greens and caper leaves, were presented with a tomato-onion relish.
Kashmiri Flavors Dominate the Main Course
The main course showcased several renowned Kashmiri preparations. Chaman Qaliya consisted of delicately spiced cottage cheese cooked in a milk and turmeric sauce, while Haakh, seasonal collard greens, were stewed with mustard oil. Other dishes included Dum Olav, potatoes cooked with yoghurt, dry ginger, and fennel, and Tsok Wangun, baby eggplant in a tangy sauce. For rice, guests were served Kana Gucch Pulao, a fragrant pilaf made with Kashmiri morels and whole spices, accompanied by Mujj Chatni, Sheermal, and Katlam breads.
Desserts from the Region and Traditional Beverages
The dessert course concluded the elaborate meal with regional specialties. Shufta, a sweet dish made with stewed dry dates, cashew nuts, raisins, and coconut, was offered alongside Phirin, a semolina and milk pudding flavored with saffron and cardamom. A distinctly Ladakhi dessert, Phaymer, prepared with roasted barley, jaggery, and butter, was served with Chura soft cheese. Fresh fruits rounded off the sweet offerings.
Beverages also maintained the Himalayan theme, with choices including Kahwa, the aromatic Kashmiri tea infused with cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron, and Gur Gur Chai, the traditional butter tea from Ladakh. Wild rose tea was also available.
The banquet underscored the shared values of resourcefulness and respect for seasonal produce, drawing parallels between the Himalayan ranges and the Swiss Alps. President Parmelin's visit to India is a three-day state visit, following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.