Nagaland – the tribal state of eastern part of India is known for their celebrations apart from their strange food habits. Though their food items look weird for other parts of the world, most of the dishes have good health quotients. Can anyone imagine bug fry, frogs, leaches, worm meals or dog meat curry for normal people? Yes, Nagaland people are so. The tribal people are unique in their own means.

Though each tribe has a unique language to communicate, they use a hybrid language of Hindi and Assamese – Nagameese to communicate with external world. After beauty parlours, most common things in Nagaland are restaurants and market. Bamboo shoot is commonly used in almost all Nagaland dishes. Dog meat and hives of wasp are the most expensive items here and often used to treat guests. World’s most hot chilli – Bhoot Jolakkiya is found in Nagaland. Yet Nagaland dishes use only less chilli taste.

Dog soup is more good than curry – says local Nagaland people who prepares curry using Bhoot Jolakkiya, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and leaves of many types – known and unknown. Different types of leaves are used in Nagaland for preparing different dishes. Yet curry leaves cannot be found in their collection. Nagaland chutney made with some leaves and chillies cooked in dog meat is very popular. They use soup along with rum.

Rice is the common food item of Nagaland and rice cultivated there has a unique taste. ‘Madhu’ prepared using half cooked rice and a few types of leaves is an essential dish of all celebrations. Rice is fermented and tastes like liquor. Though Nagaland is an alcohol prohibited state, they can make Madhu on special occasions. Earlier tribal people used to hunt both animals and men and now only animals, though they are restrictions. They never leave even bladder of wild animals and shoot all the birds of their territory as well.

Pork and beef form the major items of their diet and worm fry is quite common. They always keep pork and beef slices on the top of hearths for ready to use purpose. Tomatoes of Nagaland are grape sized. Silk worms, honey hives and wasps are also used as special diet. Worm fry tastes similar to cooked eggs and they cook different types of leaves using chillies and salt. Worms of different types are available in market and worm fry is best for back pain and cold – says local people.  They smoke honey hives and use it as a fried item. Chau Chau noodles made of pork is also popular.

Women are the sellers of market and one can get frogs, worms, leeches etc from market, apart from different types of leaves. All shops remain shut after 5.30 pm as it is early sun rise and sun set there. Their days begin at early 4.30 am and will eat breakfast before 7am. After that they will eat in the evening. There are no cinema theatres or other entertainment programs in Nagaland, though tribal festivals arrive every month.     

Article Posted By : Sandhya Rani  On September 23, 2014lView All Articles

really surprised.....but can't eat such food items, sure

Article Source :

http://www.veethi.com/articles/unique-dishes-and-food-habits-from-the-land-of-festivals-article-3270.htm

Keywords :
dishes of nagaland , worms as food