Blood sausage is a traditional ethnic food of few communities living in mountains of Nepal. Many Nepalis are not aware of this traditional ethnic cuisine. Sherpa living in upper regions generally make blood sausage from yak or sheep blood, and Limbu and Rai from lower regions makes from pig blood. In Tibetan language, it is called “gyurma”, and is made with yak or sheep’s blood, which may also include either rice or roasted barley and usage yak or sheep’s intestine as casing.
In ethnic Limbu communities, blood sausage is called “Sargemba/Sargyangma”. It is prepared by mixing minced pork meat including internal organs (heart, liver etc.), fats, rice, wild edible moss (Yangben) together and spices (ginger, garlic, onion, etc.) with fresh pig blood. The mixtures are then cased in the pig (pork) intestine. Then sausage “Sargemba” is boiled in hot water for around 1-2 hours until it is fully cooked. The boiled sausage is then chopped, fried and served with fresh pickle. The sausage can also be smoked and stored over the firewood oven for several weeks.
I came to know about this ethnic cuisine in restaurant name Noyoz. It was truly delicious and literally melts in your mouth. Perfectly seasoned, the crispy fried Sargemba is served with fresh tomato and timur (Szechuan button) chutney/sauce. Chef was kind enough to explain about the method to prepare the Sargemba and ethnic cuisine of Limbu. He also showed the wild moss used in the Sargemba, and peculiar Kinima (a traditional Limbu cuisine prepared from fermenting soybean and dried).
Please visit Noyoz restaurant in Bhatbhateni (just opposite of Chinese Embassy, Baluwatar) to try this interesting delicious ethnic cuisine of Limbu. Please call them before to check availability of Sargemba, they don’t have it everyday (ph. 01-4439857; 9815372966). They also serve delicious momo, pork chops etc. Staffs and chef are very friendly.
Review of Noyoz in Nepali Times