Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 12 (1), January 2013, pp. 91-96

Traditional knowledge associated with numsing, an ethnic fish product prepared by Mising tribes of Upper ,

*AU Muzaddadi, 1RK Taye & 2BK Bhattacharjya *1College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University, Lembucherra, 799210 India 2Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR), Regional Center, HOUSEFED Complex, , 781006 India E-mail: [email protected] Received 29.03.12; revised 12.10.12

The common method of preparation of numsing, a traditional fish product developed by the Mising community of Assam and the traditional knowledge associated with it are discussed. Flame dried and smoked small economic fish species (Puntius spp., Amblypharyngodon sp., Lepidocephalus sp., Channa spp., Trichogaster (Colisa) spp., Danio spp., Mastacembelus spp., Mystus spp., Rasbora spp., etc.) and petioles of arum (Alocasia macrorrhiza) are ground together, packed in bamboo container and fermented for about 30 days to prepare the product. The complete process involves 11 distinct steps and the end product is preserved in the fermenting bamboo container itself by keeping it suspended over a fire place. It is consumed after steam cooking or after preparing some curry along with vegetables. Protein rich fish is balanced with carbohydrate content in the product, probably increasing the dietary fibre content as well, when it is supplemented with arum petioles. In addition, the product is the outcome of a wonderful traditional technology which combines three well established food processing techniques –drying, smoking and fermentation and also a compatible means of preserving fish for scares-fish seasons as a partial solution to protein malnutrition.

Keywords: Assam, Dried fish, Fermented fish, Ethnic food, Mising, numsing, Smoked fish

IPC Int. Cl.8: A23, A23B 4/00, A22, A22C, A01K, A01K 61/00 The Northeastern region of Indian is a treasure of bamboo) raised by 4-5 feet from the ground on an indigenous knowledge systems pertaining to average13. The process of numsing preparation agriculture, food, medicine, and natural resources involves 11 steps and the processed product is management1. The region has over 100 tribes and consumed as condiment with main dish after steam communities, each having their unique ethnic foods cooking or after preparing some curry along with developed through the ages. In recent years a number vegetables. This is a useful traditional method of of ethnic foods and food products traditionally processing small economic fish varieties abundantly prepared by different tribes/communities of the region available during the rainy season for consumption has been reported1-11 including fish products such as during winter and pre-monsoon months. In the present shidal/seedal6,5, ngari1,11, hentak1,11, and tungtap5,11. communication, we are describing the common method Although many fish based ethnic foods of the region of preparation of numsing together with the traditional have already been reported, numsing (a traditional knowledge system associated with the product. fish product popular among Mising community) is yet to be scientifically explored. The Misings are a Methodology Mongoloid tribe inhabiting the districts of Dhemaji, Adopting PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) , Sonitpur, , , method, an extensive field study was conducted in Sibsagar, and in Assam (plain area) Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur districts of Upper and East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Lohit Assam (Northeast bank of river Brahmaputra) (Fig. 1) districts of Arunachal Pradesh12. The Misings during 2011 in order to document the traditional traditionally live in thatched platform dwellings, with knowledge system associated with numsing stilted floor (usually constructed with split or flattened production. These two districts have highest Mising —————— population in Assam. Five Mising villages from each *Corresponding author district were surveyed and the persons actively 92 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 12, NO. 1 JANUARY 2013

Fig. 1—Map showing study area in Assam engaged in numsing production were interviewed after taking the PIC (Prior Informed Consent) from them in writing. The women were given priority for interview and documentation, since they usually prepare the product. From the many variations of the numsing preparation procedures adopted in the study Flow chart 1—The method of numsing preparation region, a common method of preparation of the with a height of 3-4 feet and having a fireplace at its product has been worked out after eliminating bottom. Fish are spread on it and heated with nearly a insignificant deviations having little bearing on the smokeless fire that is created by burning fire woods or finished product quality. In addition, the preparation dry bamboo at the fireplace mostly during night method of the product, the method of storage and hours. Drying and smoking is continued with mild methods of preparation of dishes by using the product flame until the fish become moderately hard. Arum were personally observed. petiole slices are sundried for 1 day.

Observations Step 4. Mixing: The flame dried fish and sundried Method of preparation of numsing: Numsing is a arum petiole slices are mixed together in the ratio of semi dried and semi smoked paste like product prepared 4:1. Other spices such as red pepper, green chili, by mixing fish, petioles of arum and spices. ginger and garlic may also be used according to the The different steps (Flow chart 1) followed by the tribe taste. However, no salt is used. for preparation of the product, are briefly described: Step 5. Grinding: A foot operated elongated Step 1. Selection of raw material: Small traditional wooden grinder or huller (locally called economic fish species of assorted size abundantly dhekee) is used to grind the mixture. Dhekee is a available during the South-west monsoon season household apparatus in Assam that is usually used for (June-September) in the study region (Table 1) are hulling rice and grinding spices (Fig. 3). In used for preparation of the product together households that lack dhekee, a smaller hand operated with petioles of elephant ear or arum (Alocasia traditional wooden grinder/huller pot with a wooden macrorrhiza) belonging to the family Araceae, locally thrasher (uraal) (involves higher drudgery) is used for known as mana kasu (Fig. 2). It is a herbaceous grinding and mixing the ingredients (Fig. 4). Grinding perennial plant having broad leaves and a large continues until the mixture becomes coarse paste. rizhome on or just below the ground. Step 6. Stuffing: The ground mixture, which is by Step 2. Dressing and cleaning: The fish are now a coarse paste, is stuffed tightly in a bamboo dressed to remove gills, scales and intestine and container (bahor chunga) keeping headspace of about washed with clean water. The edible part of arum 10-15 cm for subsequent sealing. The container is a petioles is sorted out, peeled and sliced using kitchen single internode of immature bamboo (Bambusa spp., knife (kotaari). less than one year old) that is made by retaining one Step 3. Drying and smoking:. Fish are dried on a node and excluding the other (Fig. 5). These tubes also specially made bamboo rack. It is made using bamboo serve as the primary packaging material for the product. MUZADDADI et al.: NUMSING, A FISH PRODUCT OF MISING TRIBES IN ASSAM 93

Table 1—Small value fish used in numsing preparation English name Scientific name Common /Local name Normal size range (cm) Indian carplet Amblypharyngodon microlepis (Bleeker, 1853) Muwa 2-5 Mola carplet A. mola (Hamilton, 1822) Muwa 2-5 Aspidoparia Aspidoparia morar (Hamilton, 1822) Baralia 4-12 Spotted mural Channa punctatus (Hamilton, 1882) Goroi 5-20 Indian hatchet chela Chela cachius (Hamilton, 1822) Chelekona 3-6 Zebra danio Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822) Dorikona 1-5 Giant danio Devario aequipinnatus (McClelland, 1839) Seldorikona 3-10 Flying barb Esomus danricus (Hamilton, 1822) Dorikona 3-10 Indian river shad Gudusia chapra (Hamilton, 1822) Koroti 5-15 Guntea loach Lepidocephalus guntea (Hamilton, 1822) Gutum/botia 2-15 Indian glass barb Laubuca laubuca (Hamilton, 1822) Laupati 5-15 Spotted spiny eel Macrognathus puncalus (Cuvier, 1832) Tora/turi 8-30 Peacock eel M. aral (Cuvier, 1832) Tora/turi 8-30 Bengala barb Megarasbora elanga (Hamilton, 1822) Eleng 5-15 Banded dwarf catfish Mystus vittatus (Hamilton, 1822) Singora/tingora 3-10 Swamp barb Puntius chola (Hamilton, 1822) Doloni puthi 2-5 Olive barb P. sarana (Valenciennes, 1842) Cheni puthi 3-8 Pool barb P. sophore (McClelland, 1839) Soru puthi 3-6 Two spot barb P. ticto (Hamilton, 1822) Tita puthi 3-8 Slender rasbora Rasbora daniconius (Hamilton, 1822) Dorikona 3-10 Gangetic scissortail rasbora R. rasbora (Hamilton, 1822) Dorikona 5-10 Finescale razorbelly minnow Salmophasia phulo (Hamilton, 1822) Selkona 4-12 Honey gourami Trichogaster chuna (Hamilton, 1822) Becha 3-7 Banded gourami T. fasciata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Kholihona 5-12 Thick lipped gourami T. labiosa (Day, 1877) Ranga kholihona 4-9 Dwarf gourami T. lalius (Hamilton, 1822) Kholihona 5-8 Step 7. Primary sealing: The stuffed bamboo an intermittent heating, the product becomes ready for containers are now re-stuffed with the raw leaves of consumption (Fig. 7). bladder fern (or fragile fern) locally known as Step 11. Storage: The product is usually allowed biholongoni that belongs to the genus Cystopteris sp. to be inside the fermenting bamboo container itself (Fig. 6). The leaves of this plant are washed and for further storage. Small quantities are taken out stuffed keeping headspace of about 5-10 cm. from the container for cooking after removing all the

Step 8. Secondary sealing: Dry paddy straw is sealing materials. For convenience, the final product used as secondary sealing material. Fine straws are is sometimes taken out from the container by cutting it open and kept in a glass jar for further use. It has a cleaned, dried properly and then pushed hard inside shelf life of about 2-3 yrs. the bamboo container in such a way that a headspace Cooking process: Numsing is consumed after steam of about 2-5 cm is retained. cooking or after preparing curry along with Step 9. Tertiary sealing: Finally the bamboo tube vegetables. For steam cooking, required quantity of is sealed air-tight with clay so that no air or insects numsing is taken out from the bamboo container and can penetrate it. Fine clay soil is crushed and mixed mixed with chili and few other spices such as onion, with water to make thick clay. garlic, turmeric and ginger. All ingredients are mixed properly and wrapped with fresh raw leaves of a Step 10. Intermittent heating and fermentation: certain wild shrub that has broad and slender leaves, The sealed bamboo containers are then hung about belongs to ginger family Zingiberaceae and locally 2-3 feet above the traditional mud-oven in the kitchen known as tora gos (Fig. 8). The wrapped packet is or a fireplace whereupon the Mising people cook food tied with cotton threads and cooked in steam along as outdoor kitchen. After allowing a fermentation with rice. This mixture is then ground to a paste or period of about 30 days in this manner, which allows chutney and eaten with rice (Flow chart 2). 94 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 12, NO. 1 JANUARY 2013

A numsing curry with vegetables such as ridge such as winter and spring (December to April). gourd and leafy vegetables i.e. spinach, mustard Hence, the Mising tribes, who are habituated to dwell leaves, pumpkin leaves, arum leaves, etc. is also in the valleys of rivers and beels (typical freshwater prepared. The product is mixed with ingredients of lakes/marshy areas found in the ), curry and cooked in a curry-pan with sufficient have developed this method of preservation amount of gravy. It gives a sweet flavour and a and value addition to low cost fish by the urge of characteristic odour to the curry. natural instinct.

Discussion The flame drying method of raw fish on the Different ethonobotanical resources used in bamboo platform is another marvelous invention traditional foods are based on the location specific demand, culture, economy, ethnicity, food habit and overall needs3. Numsing is normally prepared during monsoon season when the trash fish and arum are available in the villages in plenty. Trash fishes are highly perishable in nature due to neutral pH content of fish and thus, easy microbial attack. Moreover, in the monsoon season high valued big fish become comparatively cheaper due to increased supply in the market. Consequently people opt for bigger fish for fresh consumption and there is a glut of small fish. These fish naturally are preserved for the lean seasons Flow chart 2—The method of numsing steam cooking

Fig. 2 to 8; 2. The petioles of arum (Alocasia macrorrhiza) used as second raw material in numsing preparation.; 3. Foot operated traditional grinder (dhekee); 4. A Mising woman operating the traditional grinder uraal; 5. Bamboo container (bahor sunga) used for stuffing fish; 6. The fern leaves (biholongoni) used for primary sealing; 7. Numsing- the dried, smoked and fermented traditional fish product and 8. Leaves of Zingiberaceae plant (tora paat) used for steam cooking of numsing MUZADDADI et al.: NUMSING, A FISH PRODUCT OF MISING TRIBES IN ASSAM 95

which is excellently suitable for monsoon season. Since most of water bodies, wetlands and low lying During consistent cloudy days of monsoon, the paddy fields in the study region dry up during the method of traditional sun drying of fish becomes pre-monsoon season (March- May), availability of completely impracticable and flame drying becomes small economic fish in the study region drastically most useful. Traditional sun drying has several reduces and price of fish shoots up. Consequently, disadvantages such as (1) unpredictability of many people cannot afford to buy fish from the open sunshine; (2) operation hours are during peak day market, since most of the people in the study area are time when people need to do several other important socio-economically underdeveloped. Obviously, farm activities; (3) high probability of insect preparation of fish products like numsing turns to be infestation during drying period; (4) loss due to the an easy alternative or means of avoiding protein attack by predators like birds, cats and rats; (5) malnutrition during such period. Due to the limited bacterial and fungal attack on the fish due to production, the product is at present used for own unhygienic and lengthy process of handling and consumption and not found in the markets. finally (6) slow rate of drying. The new method of Of late, there has been a resurgent of interests in fish drying amicably solves all these problems and it the ethnic foods prepared by different becomes worth replacing the traditional sun drying of tribes/communities of the region as seemed from the fish. Besides, this accelerated method of drying food festivals organized by different Govt. and Non- renders cooked flavour to the product. govt. organizations from time to time, mainly because The second major ingredient of the product is mana most of the ethnic foods prepared by the tribes usually kosu which is rich in starch and thus supplements contain less/ negligible edible oil including potentially carbohydrate in numsing. Fish being very poor in harmful Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), harmful carbohydrate content (0.5% in w/w basis), this preservatives and colouring agents. Moreover, being a ingredient sufficiently compensates it in the product. salt free product, it is a health food for heart patients It also contributes to increase the viscosity of the with high blood pressure. product and thus increasing the thickness. People Preliminary observations indicated that that believe that besides providing an exceptional flavour, product is a resultant of combination of three mana kasu also has some preservative action. processes such as drying, smoking and fermentation The bamboo container used is an organic which makes the product very unique among all packaging material. The raw bamboo protects the processed fish products. Moreover, the addition of product from getting burnt while heating and also arum petioles undoubtedly would increase the dietary gives a bamboo shoot like flavour to the product. fibre content of the product which is a major concern Since bamboo shoots are favourite food items in the in modern health food formulation. In fact, the use of 2 Northeast , this flavour adds value to the product. immature bamboo containers for stuffing and storing Having a very hard surface, bamboo also protects the the product, provides a distinct raw bamboo aroma product from insects, rats and cats. The tube can be and making it more special for the tribes/communities easily opened by splitting it apart or by cutting the of the region. In addition, the product has a node at the bottom. reasonably long storage life of at least 2 yrs. Hence, The fern leaves have some insect repellant the product apparently has all the potential to attract properties and they protect the product from the researchers and entrepreneurs for its further insect infestation. It is also believed that the development and popularization. unpleasant smell of fish which would attract insects is absorbed by these leaves to some extent. Conclusion Other sealing materials such as paddy straw probably The numsing preparation method is undoubtedly would work as insulator and spongy cushion an environment friendly method which utilizes to accommodate any increment in volume of the available resources for preservation and the product or gas production. On the other hand, value addition to the low cost fish. The ingredients, clay becomes hard on drying and gives a good packaging and sealing materials surely would protection against insect infestation and attack by rats, have some unknown biochemical roles to make cats etc. It also forms nearly an airtight seal protecting the product special. This preliminary study, leakage of foul smelling gases from fish inside therefore, aims at to draw the attention of researchers the bamboo container. for undertaking broad and elaborative studies 96 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 12, NO. 1 JANUARY 2013

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