Yet Nepal lies at the intersection of two great culinary traditions, Indian and Chinese, and if you know what to look for you'll find good, native renditions of everything from tandoori to stir-fried dishes. The simple cooking of the hills - Nepal's heartland - is essentially a regional variation of north Indian, comprising rice, lentils, curried vegetables and meats, and chutneys. In the Kathmandu Valley, the indigenous Newars have their own unique cuisine of spicy meat and vegetable dishes. In the Tarai, roti (bread) and the vast range of Indian curries, snacks and sweets comes into play, while in the mountains the diet is essentially Tibetan, consisting of soups, pastas, potatoes and breads.