You know how introverts are? They don’t like talking or expressing themselves that much. But often they have the greatest of personalities and ideas. Consider Arunachal Pradesh to be an introvert state. It doesn’t talk much but has so much to offer, be it nature’s abundance or rich cultural heritage. In fact, it has made its way to many travellers’ list of the most alluring places to visit in north east India. There is another element that makes the state even more interesting, its food culture! Today we will be focusing on the same!
See, the food practices obviously differ from tribe to tribe in the state. As you travel towards the parts closer to Tibet, you will see more use of dairy products. When you explore the western parts, on the other hand, you will see a lot of dependency on vegetables and plant-based ingredients. That being said, the basics seem to remain the same. Very little use of spices, no deep-frying and rice and meat being the staple food!
To give you a better understanding of Arunachal Pradesh’s food culture, we have here 10 famous foods of the state. Let’s start digging in!
Rice is a staple food in many parts of India. In Arunachal Pradesh, almost all meals include a generous serving of rice that is eaten with different vegetable and meat dishes. Obviously, the state has its own way to make rice. Here, rice is cooked on a bamboo dish and over charcoal to give it a distinct taste.
Meat is also a commonly eaten ingredient in the state. And much like the rice, the people of this state like their meat in certain ways. First of all, they prefer the meat of mithun (Bos frontalis) over chicken and mutton. And secondly, instead of deep-frying, they prefer smoking their meat over charcoal. Boiled meat is also something people here enjoy eating. A plate of rice with some smoked meat, you will surely like to have a taste!
Another meat delicacy. For making lukter, thinly sliced meat is roasted over charcoal. Along with the meat, chillies are also roasted and then ground. Once the meat is cooked, it is slathered with the chilli paste. The unique taste of this dish comes from the special kind of chilli used in this dish which is bhut jolokia or king chilli. This also tastes great along with rice. Just a little reminder. King chilli is quite hot. So, dishes made with it are quite spicy.
This Arunachal Pradesh famous food is a must-try! Actually, this ingredient is used in many different vegetable dishes. It is also used in meat dishes. Some pickles and chutneys also have bamboo shoots in their list of ingredients. You can try the vegetarian or the non-vegetarian option, whichever you prefer.
Here’s all you need to know before trying this dish. A fermented cheese made with yak or cow milk is the key ingredient in this curry dish. Another important ingredient is the king chilli or Bhut Jolokia. Some vegetables are also added to this curry. It may be a required taste but you should give it a go. You can have this dish as curry with some rice or as soup.
This is surely not a new name for you. Because you can get momos almost everywhere nowadays. But take our words and do try momos in Arunachal Pradesh. You will get both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options here. And the hot dumplings are served with chutneys, like everywhere else.
We talked about many main dishes and side dishes so far. We explored both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food eaten in Arunachal Pradesh. Now it is time for some accompaniment. And for that, pika pila is one of the best options. It is basically a pickle that is made with bamboo shoots, king chilli and pork fat. The Apatani tribe mainly eats this pickle with their meals on a regular basis.
You will need a nice drink to go with your Arunachal Pradesh style meal, right? So, we introduce apong. It is a type of rice drink. Many Indian states have variations of drinks made with fermented rice and apong is a tasty addition to that. Talking about the taste of apong, it is extremely light and quite refreshing.
If you didn’t like apong that much or if you would simply like to try something different, go with marua. This is another homemade drink from Arunachal Pradesh. Here the key ingredient is millet. Basically, like apong, millet is fermented to make marua. While apong is somewhat a regular drink, marua is often made on special occasions and is enjoyed all over the state.
It is always nice to end a meal on a sweet note. So, we decided to end this list of the famous food in Arunachal Pradesh with desert. And among the many delectable desserts eaten in the state, we suggest koat pitha. Sweet and comforting, this is how we can describe this dish! Rice flour, banana, jaggery, oil and water are mixed together to make a thick batter. Then, small balls of the batter are deep-fried in mustard oil. Wondering if it is similar to doughnuts? It kinda is. But the mustard oil does add a distinctive taste to this dish.
Excited to start your food tour to Arunachal Pradesh, great? Make all the plans, get your travel guide ready and reach the state. As you indulge in the exciting things to do and explore the beautiful places to visit in Arunachal Pradesh, try and locate food joints and tick off your favourites from the above-mentioned list. Happy eating!
