Lodge baking on the Annapurna trails grew out of the 1970s and 1980s, when owners learned recipes from trekkers and the first ACAP hospitality training courses. In Chhomrong it became a speciality. Chhomrong Cottage, run by a local family near the top of the village, built a reputation for chocolate cake that is now mentioned in almost every ABC trip report. Other lodges serve their own apple pie, carrot cake and cinnamon rolls.
Cakes are baked in small batches, often in the afternoon, using flour, sugar and cocoa carried up by porters. Expect a dense, home-style cake rather than a patisserie slice. Prices are roughly NPR 400–600 a slice and rise slightly every season; check current status before you travel. Pair it with lemon ginger honey tea or a pot of black tea, and sit on the terrace facing Annapurna South while you eat.
We suggest saving the cake for the return. After three or four days above 3,000 m, appetite comes back on the way down, and the stop marks the end of the high section of the trek. Above Chhomrong menus are fixed by the lodge management committee and get simpler with every hundred metres, so this is also a chance to eat well before the climb if you are heading up rather than down.
Good for
- Couples
- Families
- Solo
- Groups
Questions travellers ask
Where is the famous chocolate cake in Chhomrong?
The best-known chocolate cake on the ABC trail comes from Chhomrong Cottage, a family teahouse near the upper part of the village. Several other Chhomrong lodges also bake cakes and pies. Ask your guide to stop there on the way up or down, or simply follow the signs.
How much does food cost in Chhomrong?
Dal bhat in Chhomrong costs about NPR 750–900, noodle dishes NPR 600–800 and tea NPR 100–200 a cup. Cakes and pies are about NPR 400–600 a slice. Prices are agreed by the lodge management committee and rise as you go further into the sanctuary.
Can I get meat in Chhomrong?
Some lodges in Chhomrong itself serve chicken or other meat, but by local custom lodges above the village do not serve meat out of respect for the sanctuary and its deities. Most trekkers switch to vegetarian meals from Chhomrong upwards, which is also safer for hygiene at altitude.
