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| Oambal~ Indian State Nagaland |
Nagaland is a state that belongs to the north-eastern part of India. This state is mostly covered by lush mountains, which gives the land a unique beauty.
The various Naga tribes have their unique dishes
and the cuisine is never same for any two of the tribes. A typical Naga meal
comprises of rice accompanied by a meat dish, a couple of boiled vegetable
dishes and chutney.
The characteristic of the Naga cuisine is that
dishes are boiled to cook instead of frying. The meat and fish are smoked,
dried or fermented. Smoked meat is prepared by keeping the meat above the fire
or hanging on the wall of the kitchen for 2 weeks or longer, which could last
for the whole year ahead. Fermenting food is practiced in the cuisine of
Nagaland in order to preserve the food. The food item is first boiled and then
dried under the sun or near the fire. It is then wrapped in a banana leaf and
stored for future use. Traditional
homes in Nagaland have external kitchens that serve as smokehouses.The main components of Naga cuisine are rice, potatoes and other vegetables and meat. Various meats include beef, pork, fish, chicken, crabs, frog, snail, spider, insects, bee larvae, dog, cat, rat, birds, snake, spider, monkey, bear, and even elephant. Pork meat is highly popular and is cooked with bamboo shoots . Meat of dog and other wild animals are considered a delicacy in Nagaland. Apart from meat, bamboo shoots, lettuce, soybeans, mustard leaves, and yam leaves are also used in cooking. These ingredients are fermented and used to make various dishes.
The Nagas being hunters by nature are meat eaters.
The food is hot and spicy with a unique taste as due the local flavouring
agents are used and have distinct flavours. Chillies are an integral part of
the cuisine of Nagaland and are used in most of the dishes. The ginger used in
the Naga cuisine is spicy, aromatic and is different from the common ginger.
Various local herbs and leaves are also used to spice up the dishes.
The cuisine
of Nagaland has largely remained free from influence of other cuisines.
