Sargemba is a traditional limbu ethnic dish of a few mountainous communities in Nepal . This is a traditional limbu ethnic cuisine that many Nepalis are unaware of. Blood sausage is typically made from the blood of yaks or sheep by the Sherpas and other mountainous communities who live at higher altitudes, while the Rais and Limbus from lower regions use the blood of pigs. It is known as “gyurma” in Sherpa and Tibetan, and it is prepared with yak or sheep blood, rice, or roasted barley, and the intestines of the animals are used as a covering. Locals in Manang refer to the blood sausage as khu-khurung.
Sargemba is the name given to blood sausage in ethnic Limbu communities. It’s made by mixing fresh pig blood with minced pork meat that includes internal organs (liver, heart, etc.), fats, rice, and wild edible lichen (Yangben).When cooked with fatty pork, yangben absorbs the fat and gives the meal a wonderful earthy flavor. On its own, yangben has no flavor or aroma. Yangben matches perfectly with pork.
The mixtures are then placed inside the intestine of the pig (pork). After that, “Sargemba” sausage is cooked by boiling it in hot water for one to two hours. Freshly made Pickle is often served alongside the chopped, fried, and boiled sausage. Additionally, the sausage can be smoked and kept for a period of time above the firewood oven.
The popularity of yangben has led to its adoption by neighboring Rai and other communities into their culinary traditions.Sargemba is slowly getting recognition from other various communities in Nepal and is now available in major cities of Nepal like Dharan(Bhedetar). Nepal Cloud Kitchen like Foodganj has also started to deliver this local cuisine online.
