About Us

All About Sherpa and Sherpa Restaurant

Who is a Sherpa?

The Sherpas, whose name translates roughly to “Easterners,” sher meaning “Eastern” and pa meaning “people” are settled primarily in the mountainous Solukhumbu region of eastern Nepal, which is also home to Sagarmatha National Park and Mount Everest.

The Khumbu Valley, in the shadow of Mount Everest (which is known locally as Jomolungma, or “Sacred Mother”) is inhabited by thousands of Sherpa families.

Most are Buddhists, though some practice Christianity, Hinduism or other religions, according to the Nepal Ethnographic Museum. The Sherpa language is related to other Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in Nepal, Myanmar, China and elsewhere in Asia.

Before they achieved worldwide fame as mountaineers, the Sherpa were primarily known as nomadic cattle herders, high-altitude farmers, weavers and salt traders. Long a regional staple, Himalayan salt has now achieved worldwide fame among gastronomists who value the mineral for its characteristic pink hue.

Mountaineering legends

Sherpas are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local area. They were immeasurably valuable to early explorers of the Himalayan region, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region, particularly for expeditions to climb Mount Everest. Though it was once considered blasphemous to climb a sacred mountain, most Sherpas now regard their role as mountaineering guides with considerable pride.

The economy and culture of the Sherpa people changed dramatically in the early 1900s, when mountaineers made Everest the ultimate destination for climbing, ushering in an era of mountain tourism.

It’s in their blood

In addition to a tradition of mountain living, the Sherpas may have a physiological anomaly that enables them to live and work at high altitudes longer than other people. Some of the most famous Sherpa mountaineers include Tenzing Norgay, who in 1953 became one of the first two people (along with Edmund Hillary) to conquer the summit of Mount Everest.

Social Traditions

A Sherpa community will most commonly get together for a party, which is held by the host with the purpose of gaining favour with the community and neighbours. Guests are invited hours before the party will start by the host’s children. The men are seated by order of status, with those of lesser status sitting closer to the door and men of higher status sitting by the fireplace, while the women sit in the centre with no ordering.

It is polite to sit in a space lower than one’s proper place so one may be invited by the host to their proper place. The first several hours of the party will have only beer served, followed by the serving of food, and then several more hours of singing and dancing before people start to drift out. The act of manipulating one’s neighbours into cooperation by hosting a party is known as Yangdzi, and works by expecting the hospitality done by the host with the serving of food and alcohol to be repaid.

Which brings us to Sherpa Restaurant

Sherpa Restaurant was started in 2017 to honour Sherpas without whom no feat to Mount Everest or any other highest peak in the world would not have been possible. Sherpa Restaurant serves the food from the Himalayas, the rich, tasty cuisine that is full of flavour and at the same time healthy.

We bring you the taste of Nepal and our neighbouring country India to the city of Buncrana. We hope you will love our food. If you have any questions regarding out food, allergens or about Nepal. Please do not hesitate to contact us.