High in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, some traditional foods have survived not because they became popular, but because a few families simply never stopped growing them.
Ogla is one of them.
Known locally as ओगला, Ogla is a traditional Himalayan buckwheat grown on higher slopes where the growing season is short, the soil can be poor, and irrigation is limited. For generations, it was ground into flour and used to make dense, dark rotis and other simple foods found in Pahadi kitchens.
Today, Ogla is becoming increasingly difficult to find. At KOTHAR, we are working with the families who still grow it and giving this old Himalayan grain a place on the modern kitchen shelf.
What Is Ogla?
Ogla is a traditional Himalayan variety of buckwheat. Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually wheat. It is a seed rather than a cereal grain and is naturally gluten-free.
In Himachal's higher villages, Ogla has traditionally been grown on terraces where other crops can be more difficult to cultivate. It has a relatively short growing season and can grow with very little irrigation or agricultural input.
The grain is usually ground into flour. The flour has a distinctive earthy character and produces a dark, dense roti with a flavour that works particularly well with strong foods such as ghee, pickle and thick dal.
Ogla and the Himalayan Mountains
Food in the Himalayas has always been closely connected to geography.
Farming on mountain terraces is very different from farming on the plains. Land is limited, temperatures are lower, the growing season is shorter and water cannot always be relied upon.
This is where traditional grains like Ogla became important.
Instead of requiring the same conditions as commercial crops, Ogla could be sown on higher slopes with minimal inputs. It became one of the foods that helped mountain households make use of land that was not necessarily suited to crops such as rice or wheat.
That relationship between crop and landscape is one of the reasons Ogla is more than just another grain. It is part of the agricultural history of the hills.
Why Is Ogla Becoming So Difficult to Find?
Ogla did not disappear because of one particular event.
Its decline has been gradual. As farming changed across Upper Shimla and other parts of Himachal, crops that provided better commercial returns became more attractive. Apple cultivation expanded, while rice and wheat became easier to purchase rather than grow at home.
Ogla also requires traditional knowledge. Someone needs to keep the seed, sow it, harvest it and know how to process it. When fewer families grow a crop, the seed becomes harder to find and the knowledge surrounding it becomes less common.
KOTHAR's current Ogla comes from Sungri Heights in Upper Shimla, where only a small number of households continue to grow it. The current batch is from the present harvest season.
What Does Ogla Taste Like?
Ogla has a flavour that is very different from ordinary wheat flour.
It is earthy, slightly bitter and deeply grainy. When ground into flour and cooked, it produces a darker and denser roti than a typical wheat roti.
Rather than trying to hide its flavour, traditional Himalayan cooking works with it. Ogla pairs naturally with ingredients that have equally strong personalities.
- Desi ghee
- Thick dal
- Pahadi rajma
- Traditional pickles
- Simple Himalayan vegetables
How Is Ogla Used in Himachali Cooking?
Traditionally, Ogla is most commonly associated with flour-based preparations.
1. Ogla Roti
The simplest way to use Ogla is to grind it into flour and make a traditional dark, dense roti. Because buckwheat does not contain gluten, the dough behaves differently from wheat dough.
It is generally easier to shape the dough by hand rather than expecting it to stretch like wheat dough.
2. Chilta
Ogla flour can also be used to make chilta, a traditional Himalayan buckwheat pancake. The batter is cooked on a hot pan and commonly enjoyed with ghee or other savoury accompaniments.
You can read more about the traditional preparation in our guide: Chilta and Aktori: What Buckwheat Is Actually For .
3. Whole Ogla
Ogla can also be cooked whole, similar to other grains. KOTHAR recommends cooking the whole grain for roughly 20 minutes.
Ogla vs Fafra: What's the Difference?
If you have explored traditional Himalayan grains, you may also have come across Fafra.
Both Ogla and Fafra are traditional varieties of Himalayan buckwheat. They are grown in similar mountain conditions and are commonly ground into flour for traditional preparations.
The two have their own local identities and flavour differences, which is why Himalayan villages have traditionally kept separate names for them.
KOTHAR also offers Fafra for people who want to explore another traditional Himalayan buckwheat.
Is Ogla Naturally Gluten-Free?
Yes. Buckwheat is a seed rather than a cereal grain and is naturally gluten-free.
Ogla is also a whole seed and naturally contains fibre and plant protein. However, if you need to strictly avoid gluten, it is important to consider possible cross-contact during processing, storage or grinding.
Nutrition can vary by crop, processing and serving size. The information here describes general characteristics of buckwheat and is not a medical or therapeutic claim about a specific batch.
How to Cook With Ogla at Home
If you are trying Ogla for the first time, start simple. Its flavour is distinctive enough that it does not need complicated recipes.
- For roti: Grind whole Ogla into flour and mix with warm water.
- Shape by hand: Buckwheat does not behave like wheat dough, so gently press and shape rather than stretching it.
- Cook on a hot tawa: Cook until the surface is set and the roti is properly cooked.
- Serve traditionally: Try it with ghee, rajma, dal or a strong pickle.
- For whole grain: Rinse and cook it like a grain for roughly 20 minutes.
KOTHAR Ogla From Upper Shimla
At KOTHAR, we wanted to make traditional Himalayan grains available without separating them from the people and places that produced them.
Our Ogla comes from Sungri Heights, Upper Shimla.
It is sold whole, so you can grind it fresh at home when you want to use it for flour. The current harvest is small and comes from only a handful of remaining growers.
Ogla Is Part of a Bigger Himalayan Story
Ogla is not the only traditional grain becoming difficult to find.
Across Upper Shimla and Kinnaur, several old crops are now grown by only a small number of families. Alongside Ogla are Fafra, Chalai and Kodra.
These crops survived for generations because they suited the land. But when farming economics changed, there was less reason to continue growing them.
Our article Four Grains Himachal Is Quietly Losing looks at all four and explains why they are becoming harder to find.
The important point is simple: when nobody grows a crop, eventually there is no seed, no local knowledge and no harvest left to buy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ogla
What is Ogla?
Ogla is a traditional Himalayan variety of buckwheat grown in parts of Himachal Pradesh. It is traditionally ground into flour for rotis and other preparations.
Is Ogla the same as wheat?
No. Despite the name buckwheat, Ogla is not wheat. Buckwheat is a seed rather than a cereal grain and is naturally gluten-free.
Where is Ogla grown?
Ogla is traditionally grown in Himalayan areas, including parts of Himachal Pradesh. KOTHAR's current Ogla comes from Sungri Heights in Upper Shimla.
What does Ogla taste like?
Ogla has an earthy, slightly bitter flavour. Its flour makes a dark and dense roti that pairs well with ghee, dal, rajma and pickle.
How do you eat Ogla?
Ogla can be ground into flour for rotis and chilta, or cooked whole like a grain. It is traditionally suited to simple preparations that let its natural flavour come through.
Is Ogla gluten-free?
Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free because it is a seed rather than a cereal grain. However, people with strict gluten-avoidance requirements should check for possible cross-contact during processing.
Why is Ogla becoming rare?
Ogla became less common as farmers shifted toward crops with stronger commercial returns and households increasingly purchased staple grains instead of growing them. Today, only a small number of families continue to grow it in the areas KOTHAR sources from.
From Himalayan Fields to Your Kitchen
Ogla may look like a simple grain, but its story is much bigger than the seed itself.
It represents a way of farming that worked with the mountains rather than against them. It grew on higher terraces, became flour for everyday food and stayed alive because families continued to save and sow the seed.
Today, only a small number of growers continue that tradition.
Bringing Ogla back into everyday kitchens does not require complicated recipes. Sometimes it simply means buying the grain, cooking it and giving the people who still grow it a reason to sow it again.
Ogla is not just an old Himalayan grain. It is a small part of Himachal's food heritage that is still here — for now.
