To celebrate the 43rd foundation day IGRMS is organising a three-day traditional cuisine festival of North east India from March 8 to 10. In this regard, IGRMS has invited artisans from different north eastern states to participate and prepare the traditional cuisines of north east India to promote the indigenous culinary cultures as well as to introduce the traditional foods of North eastern states to the visitors/museum lovers of IGRMS.
The north eastern part of India showcases a variety of culture and traditions which is reflected in their traditional cuisines. The specialty of north eastern cuisine depends not only in terms of tastes and flavours but also on cooking technique and use of some exotic ingredients.
They have their own indigenous way of preparing, fermenting and drying vegetarian and non-vegetarian food products. Green chili, local garlic, local ginger, sesame seeds, bamboo shoots, soyabeans and few local herbs they grow in their kitchen garden give a distinctive flavour in their cuisines. Most of the dishes are healthy, nutritious, and energetic.
Though most of the people of north east India are non-vegetarian by native food habits but their meals happened to find the balance between plants based and meat based recipes. Minimal use of oil, spices and maximum use of ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, local herbs, give the dishes a unique flavour. Most of the indigenous food materials are collected by the women folk either from the forest areas, conserved in shifting land or grown in their indigenous kitchen gardens. Slow heating, firing, boiling, pounding, baking inside hollow bamboo tube, steaming, wrapping in banana leaves are some of the traditional ways of their cooking.
Most of the dishes are non-vegetarian but very light, aromatic, healthy and lip smacking. The ingredients play major role in the flavour of the dishes.