Sapu Mhichā () is a
Nepalese dish of the
Newa community, made up of
buffalo leaf tripe
The omasum, also known as the bible, the fardel, the manyplies and the psalterium, is the third compartment of the stomach in ruminants. The omasum comes after the rumen and reticulum and before the abomasum. Different ruminants have different oma ...
stuffed with
bone marrow
Bone marrow is a semi-solid biological tissue, tissue found within the Spongy bone, spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It i ...
. Sapu Mhichā is a special delicacy of the
Newa cuisine
Newa cuisine (also referred to as ''Newar'' cuisine) is a subset of Nepalese cuisine that has developed over centuries among the Newars of Kathmandu (Kathmandu is called ''Yen'' in Nepal Bhasa) in Nepal. Newa cuisine is the most celebrated food var ...
of the
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...
and is usually prepared during special occasions.
The delicacy is one of the dishes served to honor a man when he goes to the home of his wife's parents for festival dinners. It is served after the main course and before dessert.
Preparation
Water buffalo
The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...
leaf tripe is cut into small pieces and the layers separated to form bags. Diced bone marrow is stuffed into the bags. The opening is gathered and tied with a piece of thread to close it. The bags are then boiled and fried.
The eater puts the whole Sapu Mhichā in the mouth and bites it off, leaving the tied end between the forefinger and thumb. This way the melted bone marrow remains inside the mouth when it gushes out as the bag is ripped.
See also
*
List of Nepalese dishes
Nepali/Nepalese cuisine refers to the food eaten in Nepal. The country's cultural and geographic diversity provides ample space for a variety of cuisines based on ethnicity and on soil and climate. Nevertheless, '' dal-bhat-tarkari'' ( ne, द ...
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oy ...
References
Offal
Meat dishes
Newari cuisine
Stuffed dishes
{{Nepal-cuisine-stub