What to Buy in Himachal Pradesh: Kangra Tea, Kullu Shawls and Chamba Crafts

Most lists of what to buy in Himachal Pradesh lead with Kullu shawls and go no further. Kangra tea holds a Geographical Indication in India from 2005 and a protected Geographical Indication in the European Union from 2023, which Darjeeling received in 2011. Buy the tea on that strength, buy shawls where the weave can be checked, and buy the Chamba crafts and the food of the hills from the government centres.

Four of this state's products carry Geographical Indication registrations with dates you can look up, and the shops rarely mention any of them. The guide to preparing for travelling in India handles money and documents, and this handles the shopping.

What to buy in Himachal Pradesh

Kangra tea. Grown around Palampur, Baijnath and Dharamshala, and the only product here with European protection.
Kullu shawls. Geometric border patterns on plain wool, registered as a Geographical Indication in 2005.
Kinnauri shawls. Heavier, denser patterning, registered in 2010, and woven in two halves joined at the centre.
Chamba chappal. Leather slippers with the silk embroidery known as Chamba kadhai.
Lahaul socks and gloves. Hand-knitted from local sheep wool in geometric patterns.
Chamba rumal. Embroidered cloth worked with the same stitch on both faces.
Apples and dried fruit. From Kinnaur, Kullu and the Shimla belt.
Apricot kernel oil and kala zeera. Both from the higher valleys, and both sold by weight.

Kangra tea, and the registration that works in Europe

Kangra tea received its Indian Geographical Indication in 2005 and was registered as a protected Geographical Indication in the European Union in 2023. Darjeeling was entered in that European register in October 2011, under Commission Implementing Regulation 1050 of 2011.

Where it grows. Palampur, Baijnath, Kangra town and Dharamshala in Kangra district, Jogindernagar in Mandi, and the Bhattiyat area of Chamba.
What it tastes of. A black tea with a slightly fruity note, and a lighter body than the plains teas.
The yield. About 230 kg per hectare, against an Indian national average of roughly 1,800.
What that does to supply. Production is around 800,000 kg a year, down from 1.7 million kg in 1998. The planted area has roughly halved to about 2,000 hectares.
What it means in a shop. Small volume and real protection, so the garden name and the Geographical Indication mark are both worth asking for.
Where to buy it. The Palampur co-operative factories, the state outlets, and the gardens themselves.

Kullu and Kinnauri shawls, and how to tell them apart

The Kullu shawl was registered as a Geographical Indication on 12 December 2005, under application 19, filed by the Himachal Pradesh Patent Information Centre in Shimla. The Kinnauri shawl was registered in October 2010.

The Kullu pattern. Bands of geometric pattern at the ends of a plain body, usually in a small number of colours.
The Kinnauri pattern. Denser and more worked, with Central Asian geometry and objects of religious meaning woven in.
How a Kinnauri shawl is made. In two half-length pieces with matching designs, stitched together down the centre. One takes around 45 days.
The colours in Kinnauri work carry meanings. Green for air, blue for ether, white for water, yellow for earth and red for fire.
The looms. Frame looms for shawls made to sell, pit looms for shawls made for the household.
How to tell hand from machine. Turn it over. Handwoven pattern bands are slightly uneven and the reverse shows the floats. Powerloom copies repeat exactly.
Where to buy. The weaver co-operatives in Kullu and Bhuntar and the state handicraft outlets, where the registration mark is used.

Chamba crafts and the Lahaul woollens

Chamba chappal and Lahaul socks and gloves were both certified as Geographical Indications on 14 September 2021. The Chamba application was filed in May 2018 and the Lahaul one in May 2019.

Chamba chappal. Leather footwear embroidered in bright silk thread, and in some styles in silver and gold thread. The embroidery is called Chamba kadhai.
Lahaul socks and gloves. Knitted by women in Lahaul from local sheep wool, sometimes blended with pashmina, in geometric patterns including one called Dashi.
Chamba rumal. A square of cloth embroidered so that both faces carry the same picture, with no reverse side.
Wooden and metal work. Temple-style brass and copper pieces from the Chamba workshops.
Where to buy. The state handicraft emporia in Chamba, Dalhousie and Shimla, and the co-operative outlets in Lahaul.
What to check. Ask whether the piece is from a registered maker. The Geographical Indication exists to answer that question.

The food to carry home from the hills

What a region eats is a shorter route into it than what a region sells, which is a longer argument made elsewhere.

Apples. Kinnaur, Kullu and the Shimla belt, with the season running from late summer into autumn.
Dried apricots and apricot kernel oil. From Lahaul and the higher valleys, sold loose and by weight.
Kala zeera. The dark cumin of the high cold valleys, stronger and sweeter than the common kind.
Rajma. The small hill kidney bean, which cooks differently from the plains variety.
Honey. From the Kangra and Mandi belts.
Kangra tea. The one food item on this list with European protection, and the easiest to carry.
Where to buy it. The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation outlets, and the weekly markets in the valley towns.

What not to buy at a roadside stall

Shawls sold as Kullu or Kinnauri with no registration mark. Both names are registered and both are copied on powerlooms outside the state.
Tea with no garden name. The garden is the information. Without it the packet says nothing.
Anything made from wildlife. Shahtoosh, fur, bone, claws and ivory are illegal to buy and to carry.
Antiques. Objects over a hundred years old cannot leave India without clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India.
Apples by the box on a pass road. The same fruit is cheaper in the valley markets.
Bottled water by the case. Refilling works across the hill towns.

Buy against a registration rather than a sticker and the shopping here becomes a short lesson in which valley makes what. Our eight day slow mountain journey through Himachal Pradesh moves at the pace a workshop visit needs. Customised tours is where a tea factory or a weaver co-operative gets built into the route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kangra tea have a GI tag?

Yes, two of them. Kangra tea received an Indian Geographical Indication in 2005 and was registered as a protected Geographical Indication in the European Union in 2023. Darjeeling was entered in the European register in October 2011, under Commission Implementing Regulation 1050 of 2011.

Which Himachal products have GI tags?

Kangra tea from 2005, the Kullu shawl from 12 December 2005, the Kinnauri shawl from October 2010, and Chamba chappal and Lahaul socks and gloves, both certified on 14 September 2021. The registrations are public and the application numbers can be looked up.

What is the difference between a Kullu shawl and a Kinnauri shawl?

A Kullu shawl carries bands of geometric pattern at the ends of a plain body. A Kinnauri shawl is denser and more heavily worked, with Central Asian geometry, and it is woven in two half-length pieces stitched together down the centre. One takes around 45 days.

What should I buy in Shimla and Manali?

Kangra tea and Himachali honey from the state outlets, and shawls from the weaver co-operatives rather than the market stalls. Shimla also holds the state handicraft emporia, which carry Chamba and Lahaul work. Apples and dried fruit are better bought in the growing valleys.

What food can you bring back from Himachal Pradesh?

Kangra tea, apples and dried apricots, apricot kernel oil, kala zeera, hill rajma and honey. The corporation outlets and the weekly valley markets sell most of it by weight. Kangra tea travels best and is the only item on the list with European protection.

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