Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 11(1), January 2012, pp. 70-77 Traditional, ethnic and fermented foods of different tribes of Manipur Devi P & Suresh Kumar P* ICAR RC NEH Region, AP centre, Basar, Arunachal Pradesh- 791101 E-mail: [email protected] Received 03.12.09; revised 10.08.10 Traditional knowledge exists among different tribes on preparing boiled foods, fermented foods, beverages and nutritionally rich traditional foods from various indigenous crop plants, forest products and meat of wild and domesticated animals. Manipur has great ethno-cultural diversity, with two major tribes, the Nagas and the Kukis. The Naga tribe comprises the Maring, Mao, Maram, Kabui, Tangkhul, Tadubi, Kolya, Khoiras/Mayangkhong, Koirangs, Chirus and Maring where as the Kuki tribe comprises the Mizos, Paite, Thadou and Vaiphei. Meitei and Meitei Pangals are two non tribal communities of Manipur who has individual identity. The traditional foods of the Manipuries comprises Iromba, Champhu, Kangshoi, Hawaichar, Soibum, Ngaree, , Paknam, Chagem pomba, Kangshu, Hentak, Khazing, Heikak, sticky rice chapatti/bread, etc. Alcoholic beverages made up of rice are very common in almost all the festivals of the tribal peoples of Manipur locally called as Yu. Among different produces, the people of Manipur have the habit of taking variety of leafy vegetables which are available in plenty in the dense forests. Keywords: Manipur, Traditional foods, Fermented foods, Bamboo products, Ethnic foods IPC Int. Cl.8: A47G, A47G 19/26, A47J 39/02, B01D 3/00, C12C 11/00, C12C 12/04, C12C 7/00, A01G 16/00 Manipur is one of the eight states of Northeast India, Gante, Kharem, Lamgang, Mao, Poumi Naga, Simte, bounded by Nagaland in the North, Mizoram in the Thadou, Angami, Hmar, Koirao, Luisai, Mansang, South, Assam in the West, and by the borders of the Purum, Sahlte, Vaipei, Chiru, Kabui, Koirangm, country Myanmar in the East as well as in the part of Maram, Mayon, Ralte, Tangkhul and Jou. South. The state lies at latitude of 23°83’N - 25°68’N These tribes come into two major tribes, i.e. i) and longitude of 93°03’E - 94°78’E. The total area Naga: The Naga tribe comprises the Maring, covered by the state is 22,327 km² with the population Mao, Maram, Kabui, Tangkhul, Tadubi, Kolya, of 23, 88, 634. The major crops of this state are Khoiras/Mayangkhong, Koirangs, Chirus and Maring2. wheat, pulses, paddy, maize, sugarcane, potato and They occupy the Northern and North-western hills mustard. The major fruits are pineapple, banana, of Manipur. The staple food is rice which is cooked papaya, passion fruit, orange, lemon and mango. The either in earthern pot/metal pot or in bamboo tube. major vegetables are cabbage, cauliflower, pea, french Young bamboo shoots are collected during summer bean and tomato. The major forest products are oak, season and are peeled, dried and then added with teak, pine, cane, bamboo, leihao and uningthou. The rice for consumption. ii) Kuki: They are also known major export products are bamboo shoot products as Khongois. They occupy the South western ginger, pineapple, mushroom, etc1. Glutinous rice is and South eastern hills and is wide spread in the cultivated in the valley and inter-most river basins of district of Churachandpur, Tangnoupal and Sadar hills the hills. Transplantation methods in the valley in the northern Manipur. This tribe comprises cultivations led to substantial growth of population the Mizos, Paite, Thadou and Vaiphei2. Rice is the with a distinct peasantry, associated with riverine and staple food and there is certain restriction in the lacustrine village settlements. consumption of animal flesh. Rice beer (Yu) is the The Government of Manipur had recognized 32 most important alcoholic beverages in all the festivals 3 different tribes. They are: Animol, Chothe, Kacha of this tribe . Dried fish is eaten by almost all the Naga, Kom, Maring, Paite, Sema, Tarao, Anal, ethnic groups. All type of domestic animals is eaten —————— except cat. They also eat locusts, dog, all kinds of * Corresponding author birds and frogs. DEVI & SURESH KUMAR: TRADITIONAL FOODS OF MANIPUR 71 Meitei and Meitei Pangals are the communities of and their importance among different tribal Manipur which does not belong to tribes. The meiteis communities. are distributed in the main valley and fish is the common article of diet. Rice is the staple food and Methodology wheat is not taken in the form of chappatti or roti. The present study was conducted in Manipur state The majorities of Meitei Pangals occupies the covering all the districts. Thirty different villages Thoubal district and follow the Islamic way of life. covering 200 different tribal people were conducted to The region as a whole provides an exotic mosaic, rich make the final conclusion. The population is covered in the tapestry of colour, rhythm and movement3. All in such a way that it comprises of more than 50% the ethnic groups living in the hills and the valley elders as they practice those traditional practices prefer wild plants/plant parts as foods to introduce still in household. The response of all sampled cultivate plants. Though many of these plants are respondents was recorded. A questionnaire after available, nowadays the number and quality of pretesting and thereafter editing by amending, species are much less than past. Very few numbers of recording errors and deleting queries that were introduced plants are replacing this vast number of obviously erroneous was filled through structured wild plants. participatory interviews at the site residence of rural Different tribes have their own traditional foods people. Secondary information was collected from and beverages. The traditional food habits of tribal district agriculture information centre, books, reports, population of the state are very simple and have to do and electronic and non- electronic sources. The use of with the festival and rituals which forms a mosaic of multiple sources of information was intended to ethnic cultural combinations3. Traditional knowledge increase `construct validity of the case study in terms exists among different tribes on preparing boiled of seeking convergent lines of inquiry. foods, fermented foods, beverages and nutritionally Results and discussion rich traditional foods from various indigenous crop plants, forest products and meat of wild and Dietary pattern domesticated animals. These foods are part and parcel Staple diet of the Manipuries is rice mixed with of their social spectrum of life. Traditional foods are Bora/Bada fried or roasted peas or gram or Kangou, not only rich in nutrients but also have certain the fried vegetable and pulse. Rice is also eaten curative properties against many diseases and with seasonal vegetables cooked with smoked, dried disorders4. Meitei diet has been influenced by many or fermented fish. The meitei loves it mixed other cultures due to various socio political reasons. with vegetable chutney (Iromba)/boiled delicacy Sanskritisation is one of the biggest factors that (Champhut and Kangshoi). This is a mixture of influence the change of dietary habit. From the meat various boiled vegetable mashed with fermented eater they became fish eater, and those who accepted fish and chillies. Others like Parkia roxburghii the Hinduism to its extreme even gave up fish and (Yongchak), lotus rhizome (Thambou), green became pure vegetarian. The Manipuris are usually Makhana (Thangjing), etc are Manipuries exclusives. two meals eater, one in the morning and the other in The Meities eats more than hundred varieties of leafy the evening /night. Occasionally, enjoy taking Sinju vegetables. They learnt a very special art of vegetable salad with fermented fish or roasted gram fermenting soyabean, bamboo shoots and fishes from flour. Alcoholic beverages of different tribal time immemorial. They make Hawaichar from communities have received attention of several soyabean, Soibum, Shoidon and Soijin from the ethnobotanists and anthropologists. Introduction of bamboo shoots. Ngaree and Hentak are made from fast foods thorough globalization process, the small fishes. Carefully done fermentation is very accompanied by decrease in the use of traditional important for the safety reasons. Otherwise occasional foods of local tribe has resulted in many diseases food poisoning is heard from hawaichar and mixed notably diabetes, heart diseases, and anaemia vegetable salad/chutney7. particularly to pregnant and lactating women5. Iromba an eclectic combination of fresh vegetables, Though the new generation of tribes adopted to bamboo shoots, fermented fish and chillies. modern food habits, due to its importance, it is Heithongba is a pungent dish of lemon, sugar, salt, imperative to document the traditional food products aonla and tamarind. Maroi morok thongba, is another 72 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE VOL 11, NO. 1, JANUARY 2012 type of speciality. Morok stands for green chilli, as a during day times and near the fireplace at night in order result, this dish is bit hot in taste. Madhurjan is a to let the fermentation process complete properly and sweet made of milk, sugar and gramflour. A black also to avoid maggots damage. The fermented lentil called Ooty is compulsory at all feasts. soyabean, i.e. hawaichar is ready in 3 days during Vegetables consist of cauliflower/lai patha called Sak summer and during winter it takes 5 days. In order to with pumpkin made into a hot and spicy curry along add more flavour it was kept near the fireplace as long with spinach and banana inflorescence. A wonderful as possible. Ancient time’s rice husks were used salad called Sinju made of finely shredded vegetables instead of cloth. Hawaichar can be eaten raw with salt and raw papaya, tossed in herbs. A dessert made of and chilli or cooked, etc. The preparation of hawaichar rice called chak-hao is deep violet in colour and is by natural fermentation leads to variation in quality due combined with milk, sugar, coconut and dry fruits.