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Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is India's northeasternmost state, sharing borders with China, Bhutan, and Myanmar. It's known for its breathtaking landscapes, from the snow-capped Himalayas to lush valleys, and its rich tribal diversity, with over 26 major tribes each with unique cultures and languages. Tawang, home to the largest Buddhist monastery in India, is a significant cultural site. The state is relatively underdeveloped due to its remote location but is slowly opening up for tourism focused on nature and cultural exploration.

Arunachal Pradesh

Featured Dishes from Arunachal Pradesh

Dung po

Dung po

Steamed rice, rice is wrapped in leaves and steamed

Khura

Khura

Buckwheat flour pancake

Zan

Millet porridge with vegetables

Bresi

Bresi

Cooked rice with butter, raisins and sugar

Koat pitha

Koat pitha

Rice flour and banana fritters, serve with tea

Apong

Apong

Apo, apong, or poka is an alcohol drink commonly found among the Tani tribes in the Northeast India states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. It is prepared by fermentation of rice. It is known by various names across different tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Many tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh use apo during their respective festivals, such as nyokum. The tribal people offer the drink, every time they drink it, to the spirits by letting a few drops of it fall on the ground. Other occasions when Apo is served include annually organized ancestor worship ceremonies, the festivals of Bihu, Nyokum, Dree, and others, and annual agricultural programs.

Marua

Marua

Po cha

Po cha

Butter tea, historically made with dri (female yak) butter

Achin pinam

Achin pinam

Spiced rice, rice mixed with okko leaves and cooked inside a bamboo tube

Amin

Amin

Stewed chicken with rice cakes or thickened with rice flour, ginger, dried bamboo shoots, ginger

Asumbi

Asumbi

Cornmeal-thickened stew with meat, wild greens, bamboo shoot, chili peppers

Bamboo shoot soup

Bamboo shoot soup

Bamboo shoot soup is a popular dish in Indian cuisine, often made with fresh bamboo shoots, spices, and sometimes meat or vegetables. It can vary by region, but typically includes ingredients like ginger, garlic, and green chilies for flavor.

Chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting. Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 26.5 billion as of 2023[update], and an annual production of more than 50 billion birds. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. There are numerous cultural references to chickens in folklore, religion, and literature.

Chura sabji

Chura sabji

Fermented yak or cow cheese (chhurpi) stew

Crispy pork

Crispy pork

Pork pieces coated with a spiced batter, then fried

Dung po

Dung po

Steamed rice, rice is wrapped in leaves and steamed

Eggs

Eggs

Humans and their hominid relatives have consumed eggs for millions of years. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especially chickens. People in Southeast Asia began harvesting chicken eggs for food by 1500 BCE. Eggs of other birds, such as ducks and ostriches, are eaten regularly but much less commonly than those of chickens. People may also eat the eggs of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Fish eggs consumed as food are known as roe or caviar. Hens and other egg-laying creatures are raised throughout the world, and mass production of chicken eggs is a global industry. In 2009, an estimated 62.1 million metric tons of eggs were produced worldwide from a total laying flock of approximately 6.4 billion hens. There are issues of regional variation in demand and expectation, as well as current debates concerning methods of mass production. In 2012, the European Union banned battery husbandry of chickens.

Fish

Fish

Gyapa khazi

Gyapa khazi

Mixed rice dish with fermented cheese, chilies, dried fish, ginger

Khamti sticky rice

Khamti sticky rice

Tai Khamtis is a tribe in the Arunachal Pradesh region

Khao hai

Khao hai

Steamed rice wrapped in tong or ekkam (tong) leaves

Kharzi rice

Kharzi rice

Rice cooked with tomatoes, ginger, chilies

Kopi

Kopi

Boiled wild eggplant

Lukter

Lukter

Smoke-dried meat flavored with powdered chili peppers, prepared with chicken, pork or mithun (bovine, beef), typically eaten with rice

Mithun

Mithun

Mithun, also known as gayal, is a semi-domesticated cattle species found in Northeast India, and its meat has recently been recognized as a food animal by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Mithun meat is considered leaner and healthier compared to traditional beef, and it holds significant cultural importance in the regions where it is consumed.

Momo

Momo

Momos[a] are a type of steamed filled dumpling in Tibetan and Nepali cuisine that is also popular in neighbouring Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India. The majority of Tibetan momos are half-moon in shape like jiaozi, while Nepali momos are normally round like baozi. Momos are usually served with a sauce known as achar influenced by the spices and herbs used within many South Asian cuisines. It can also be used in soup, as in jhol momo and mokthuk. "Momo", as written, is a phonetic transcription of the Tibetan word མོག་མོག . It is possible that this Tibetan word is borrowed from the Chinese term momo (馍馍), a name traditionally used in northwestern Chinese dialects for wheat steamed buns and bread. The word mo (馍) itself means wheat flour food products or mantou (馒头), steamed buns. Historically, Chinese names for steamed buns did not distinguish between those with or without fillings until the term baozi (包子) emerged during the Song Dynasty between the tenth and thirteenth century. However, in eastern regions of China such as Jiangsu and Shanghai, mantou continues to carry both meanings in modern day. The history of dumplings in China shows that dumplings were popular during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589 AD). Dumplings dated between 499 AD and 640 AD were found in the Astana Cemetery in northwestern modern-day China.

Mutton

Mutton

Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, Ovis aries, and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in their second, and mutton, from older sheep. Generally, "hogget" and "sheep meat" are not used by consumers outside Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, and Australia. Hogget has become more common in England, particularly in the North (Lancashire and Yorkshire) often in association with rare breed and organic farming. In South Asian and Caribbean cuisine, "mutton" often means goat meat. At various times and places, "mutton" or "goat mutton" has occasionally been used to mean goat meat.

Ngatak

Ngatak

Fish pieces are marinated with spices and herbs, wrapped in leaves, then cooked on a hot stone

Noo phan

Noo phan

Boiled bamboo shoots with ginger leaves

Noodle soup

Noodle soup

Noodle soup with vegetables, chilies, fermented cheese

Nou kai noo som

Nou kai noo som

Chicken and fermented bamboo shoots

Nou moo phan

Nou moo phan

Pork and herbs wrapped and steamed in tong/ekkam leaves

Nou moo shen

Nou moo shen

Fried pork and bamboo shoots

Oik

Oik

Leafy greens boiled with spices, may also be cooked with meat, pork, bamboo shoots

Oying

Oying

Paa nung

Paa nung

Fish and herbs wrapped and steamed in tong/ekkam leaves

Panch phoran torkari

Panch phoran torkari

Five-spice chicken, can also be vegetarian with brinjal (eggplant), potatoes, pumpkin

Pasa

Pasa

Raw minced fish soup

Phak kho

Phak kho

Seasonal greens

Pi koi tome

Pi koi tome

Banana flower curry made with taro (arbi/arvi/colocasia)

Pithagurir tenga

Pithagurir tenga

Sour stir fried fish dish with spices, garlic, thickened with rice flour

Pork

Pork

Stewed with oik/oyik, fried, grilled, roasted

Pork stewed with oik

Pork stewed with oik

Pork stewed with oyik, bamboo shoots

Puhee

Puhee

Spicy blood sausages, cooked in bamboo

Raro

Raro

Vegetable dish from the Galo tribes

Rice

Rice

Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa —or, much less commonly, Oryza glaberrima (African rice). Asian rice was domesticated in China some 13,500 to 8,200 years ago; African rice was domesticated in Africa about 3,000 years ago. Rice has become commonplace in many cultures worldwide; in 2021, 787 million tons were produced, placing it fourth after sugarcane, maize, and wheat. Only some 8% of rice is traded internationally. China, India, and Indonesia are the largest consumers of rice. A substantial amount of the rice produced in developing nations is lost after harvest through factors such as poor transport and storage. Rice yields can be reduced by pests including insects, rodents, and birds, as well as by weeds, and by diseases such as rice blast. Traditional rice polycultures such as rice-duck farming, and modern integrated pest management seek to control damage from pests in a sustainable way. Many varieties of rice have been bred to improve crop quality and productivity. Biotechnology has created Green Revolution rice able to produce high yields when supplied with nitrogen fertiliser and managed intensively. Other products are rice able to express human proteins for medicinal use; flood-tolerant or deepwater rice; and drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties. Rice is used as a model organism in biology.

Roasted meats

Roasted meats

Arunachal Pradesh features various roasted meats, with one popular dish being "sudu panii," which is chicken smoked in bamboo. Another notable option is "lukter," a roasted beef dish that is especially enjoyed during cold winter evenings.

Rongpu takeng

Rongpu takeng

Sinkhyo

Sinkhyo

Boiled, skewered and grilled mithun (bovine) meat

Smoked meats

Smoked meats

Smoked meat is the result of a method of preparing red meat, white meat, and seafood which originated in the Paleolithic Era. Smoking adds flavor, improves the appearance of meat through the Maillard reaction, and when combined with curing it preserves the meat. When meat is cured then cold-smoked, the smoke adds phenols and other chemicals that have an antimicrobial effect on the meat. Hot smoking has less impact on preservation and is primarily used for taste and to slow-cook the meat. Interest in barbecue and smoking is on the rise worldwide. Generally meat is smoked using hardwood or wood pellets made from hardwood; softwood is not recommended due to increased PAH from the resin. Wood smoke adds flavor, aroma, and helps with preservation. There are two types of smoking: cold smoking generally occurs below 90 °F and has more preservative value. Hot smoking generally occurs above 160 °F (71 °C). Most woods are seasoned and not used green. There are many types of wood used for smoking; a partial list includes: Close to 80% of all fish caught in most African nations is smoked. Traditionally the processing and smoking of fish has been done by women. The primary method of smoking is hot smoking, the flavor from hot smoking preferred by local consumers. Traditional smoking methods include using bamboo racks over smoky fires, mud ovens and placing the fish directly on smoldering woods and grasses. Modern methods of smoking include using re-purposed oil drums, brick ovens, and Chorkor ovens.

Sungat diya maas

Sungat diya maas

Fish cooked in bamboo

Thenthuk

Thenthuk

Thenthuk or hand-pulled noodle soup (thukpa), is a very common noodle soup in Tibetan cuisine, especially in Amdo, Tibet where it is served as dinner and sometimes lunch. The main ingredients are wheat flour dough, mixed vegetables and some pieces of mutton or yak meat. Vegetable thenthuk is a common modern-day option too. Making the soup consists of mixing the flour, kneading the dough, chopping the vegetables and meat and boiling the soup. The cook starts working with the dough when everything boiling in the soup is well cooked. They shape the dough, flatten it, pull it and cut it off, right into the boiling soup. As soon as this is finished, the noodle soup is ready to cool down and be served.

Thukpa

Thukpa

Thukpa ˀ˥˥.pə˥˥/ ) is a Tibetan noodle soup, which originated in the eastern part of Tibet. Amdo thukpa, especially thenthuk, is a variant among the Indians, especially Ladakhis and the Sikkimese. Thukpa can be prepared in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variations; the most popular non-vegetarian variation includes chicken. Varieties of thukpa include: Thukpa has been described as a "generic Tibetan word for any soup or stew combined with noodles".

Wah-si-wett

Wah-si-wett

Chicken, herbs and chilies, roasted in leaves

Wungwut ngam

Wungwut ngam

Chicken boiled with rice powder and spices

Bamboo shoots

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions. Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, natural toxins also contained in cassava. The toxins must be destroyed by thorough cooking, and for this reason, fresh bamboo shoots are boiled before being used in other ways. The toxins are also destroyed in the canning process. Most young bamboo shoots are edible after being boiled to remove toxins, but only around a hundred or so species are harvested regularly for edible shoots. These are usually from species that are also cultivated for other uses. These include:

Chhurpi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chhurpi

Chhurpi , otherwise known as durkha and chogo/chugo, is a traditional cheese consumed in Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Northeastern India. The two varieties of chhurpi are a soft variety (consumed usually as a side dish with rice) and a very hard variety. Chhurpi is considered one of the hardest cheeses in the world. Chhurpi is prepared in a local dairy or at home from buttermilk. The buttermilk is boiled and the solid mass that is obtained is separated from the liquid and wrapped and hung in a thin cloth to drain out the water. The product is rather like the Italian ricotta, which also is made from whey. It is soft, white, and neutral in taste. However, it is often left to ferment a bit to acquire a tangy taste. To prepare the hard variety, the soft chhurpi is wrapped in a jute bag and pressed hard to get rid of the water. After it dries, it is cut into small cuboidal pieces and hung over fire to harden it further.[citation needed]

Curry leaf chutney

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Curry leaf chutney

Curry leaf chutney is a flavorful South Indian condiment made primarily from fresh curry leaves, spices, lentils, and coconut. It pairs well with dishes like idli, dosa, and rice, and is known for its aromatic and nutritious qualities.

Eku

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Eku

A paste made from epa, bamboo sprout powder, and water, added to, for example, boiled fish

Ekung

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ekung

Fermented bamboo shoots, cooked with crushed chili peppers

Epa

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Epa

Bamboo sprout powder, used as a spice for dishes

Eup

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Eup

Fermented and dried bamboo shoots

Gandipuk beetle

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Gandipuk beetle

Eaten raw, toasted, in chutney. Warning, these beetles can be psychotropic

Khapse

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Khapse

Khapse , Khapsey or colloquially known as amjok (from Tibetan ཨམ་བྱོག་ (Ear)) is a deep-fried Tibetan biscuit that is traditionally prepared during the Tibetan New Year or Losar. The dough for the khapse is usually made with flour, eggs, butter and sugar and is then shaped into different shapes and sizes. Some are sprinkled with powdered sugar, while other shapes, such as the donkey ear-shaped khapseys, are decorative.

Pao

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pao

Bread roll, introduced by the Portuguese

Pehak

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pehak

Fermented soy bean and chilies chutney, eaten with rice

Pika pila

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pika pila

Bamboo shoot and pork fat pickle

Siteka pickle

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Siteka pickle

Pickled eggplant in mustard oil

Tashee

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tashee

Tree extract, milk and sugar

Tsampa

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tsampa

Tsampa or Tsamba is a Tibetan and Himalayan staple foodstuff, it is also prominent in parts of northern Nepal. It is a glutinous meal made from roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes also wheat flour and flour prepared from tree peony seeds. It is usually mixed with the Tibetan butter tea. It is also eaten in Turkestan and Mongolia, where it is known as zamba. As the flour has already been roasted Tsampa is quite simple to prepare and does not need to be cooked; indeed, it is known as a convenience food and often used by the Tibetans, Sherpas, nomads and other travellers. While traditional tsampa is prepared with tea, sometimes water or beer is used in its place. It may also be prepared as a porridge which is called a "jham-thoo" which is usually sweet and nutty and prepared with Tibetan cheese, butter, tea and sugar. Tsampa is also prepared in a congee with lamb or yak stock to make a congee which is called "tsam-thug". André Migot described its preparation:

Vegetables

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Vegetables

Vegetables are commonly boiled