Northeast India – A Land of Traditional Food, Green Leaves & Natural Medicines

Northeast India is not just known for its beautiful hills and rivers — it is also a treasure of traditional food, green leafy vegetables, and natural herbs. Each state in the Northeast has its own unique food style, full of health, taste, and tradition.

In most Northeast homes, food is simple but full of flavour and nutrition. One common thing you’ll find is green leafy vegetables — collected fresh from forests, gardens, or local markets. These leaves are not just tasty, but also full of medicinal value. From lai xaak (mustard greens) in Assam to hooker choy in Nagaland, green leaves are a part of daily meals.

Boiled meat is a special feature of Northeast cuisine. People use very little oil and spices. The meat is often boiled with herbs, ginger, garlic, bamboo shoot, and green chilies. This makes the food not just delicious, but also good for digestion. Whether it’s pork in Nagaland, beef in Meghalaya, or chicken stew in Arunachal, the taste of traditional boiled meat is unmatched.

Traditional Food of Every State
• Assam: Rice, masor tenga (sour fish curry), tenga xaak, pitika (mashed veggies), and a variety of xaak (greens).
• Nagaland: Smoked pork, axone (fermented soybeans), bamboo shoot, and dried fish.
• Manipur: Eromba (spicy mashed veggies with fermented fish), ooti (dal with green peas), and chamthong (vegetable stew).
• Meghalaya: Jadoh (rice with meat), tungrymbai (fermented soybeans), and dohneiiong (pork with black sesame).
• Mizoram: Bamboo shoot curry, bai (mixed vegetables with boiled pork), and sticky rice.
• Tripura: Mui borok (traditional dishes with berma – fermented fish), bamboo shoot dishes, and rice beer.
• Arunachal Pradesh: Thukpa (noodle soup), boiled meat, and rice wrapped in leaves.
• Sikkim: Phagshapa (pork with radish), gundruk (fermented leafy greens), momo, and sel roti.

Northeast India is also rich in medicinal plants and herbs. Villagers and tribal communities use herbs from the forests for healing fever, cough, stomach problems, and even skin diseases. Plants like tulsi, neem, chirata, ginger, turmeric, and many forest herbs are found in abundance.

This region is like a natural pharmacy, where knowledge of traditional medicine is passed down from elders to children. Many scientists today are studying these herbs for their powerful health benefits.

The Northeast is truly a land where food is medicine and nature is culture. From the plate to the forest, everything is connected with health, harmony, and tradition. In a world full of fast food, the Northeast shows us the beauty of slow, simple, and soulful eating.