INGREDIENTS

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Nagaland is known for its unique cuisine and ingredients, which showcase their knowledge and deep connection with their backyard biodiversity. The ingredients used are sourced from local agricultural produce, forests, and livestock and add special aromas and tastes to the different dishes. Their traditional cooking methods primarily include fermenting, drying, smoking, and boiling, reflecting their nutritious consumption habits. The key ingredients of a typical Naga cuisine include fermented soyabean (axone), fermented or fresh bamboo shoots, fermented yam leaves (anishi), local ginger and garlic, Naga chili, and various local herbs, including mustard greens, ginger flower, colocasia stem, roselle leaves, mejenga leaves, and perilla seeds and leaves. Various combinations of these principal items add to a diverse array of flavourful dishes of both vegetables and meat. The Naga people are known for their love of spicy food. Their indigenous Naga King Chili (bhut jolokia) is one of the hottest chilies in the world and enjoys a GI tag. Wild mushrooms are an integral part of Naga cuisine, often foraged from the surrounding forests. No Naga meal is complete without the addition of pickles, made from a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and meats.
Rice forms the base of Naga meals and is mostly consumed as sticky rice. A large variety of rice is grown and consumed in different regions, each with its own medicinal values. Commonly eaten meat products include pork, beef, chicken, and fish. They also cook snails, silkworms, and frogs. Bee larvae is a delicacy. Meats are usually prepared by cooking in stews or grilling, and smoking. Pork and beef are also often smoked and dried for long-term preservation, serving as an important source of food in the colder months.
Naga cuisine is not only delicious but also deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Naga people.