Momos

It was 3pm. I was surveying the lush greenery of the tea gardens of Darjeeling with awe when my tummy gave a low growl. Distracted, I looked at my watch and realised what my tummy was trying to tell me. I hadn't had anything to eat since morning and tummy was angry.

I looked around the tiny little tea-shops that dotted the landscape and approached them expectantly.

"Do you have anything to eat here?"
"Yes madam, Momos"
"One plate please"

As I sat on a broken wooden bench, gazing in wonder at the rolling mountains merging into the green slopes, the tea boy came up to me with a steaming plate of 5 tiny momos.

I picked one up, dipped it in the chutney provided, blew off some steam to cool it down and put a giant bite into it.

I have never tasted anything so divine. The chutney was the hottest, spiciest one I had ever eaten and the momos just melted into my mouth. In almost no time at all I had gobbled up all the five.

"Another 2 plates please" I asked, my appetite totally on overdrive even as my tongue was on fire. "And some of your famous tea to go with it".

The tea boy grinned and took down the order.

Half an hour later, tummy was satisfied, palate was in heaven, tongue was burnt to cinders. After all, I had gobbled down four plates of the delicacy.