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Sonam Diki Bhutia
šUpper Baluthang
In Upper Baluthang lives Sonam Diki Bhutia, who grows buckwheat on her land that she tends to with the help of village women and herself. Farming here is not done on large fields or with machines. It is done slowly, in small plots carved into the hillside, where every crop depends on the care of the person growing it.
Buckwheat has long been a part of everyday food in the Himalayan region. It grows well in the cooler climate and does not demand heavy irrigation or chemical inputs. For many families in the hills, it has always been a reliable crop that provides both food and livelihood.
Once the buckwheat plants mature, the seeds are harvested by hand. The seeds are dried, cleaned carefully and then ground using traditional hand methods in small batches. This keeps the flour slightly coarse and nutty, the way it has always been prepared in village homes.
In our Himalayan kitchens, buckwheat flour is often used to make rotis, pancakes and simple meals that have sustained families for generations. Through NÄnglo, the buckwheat from Sonam Diki’s farm travels from the hills of Upper Baluthang to kitchens far beyond the village.