Experiences - INSIDE NATURE'S LARDER

A foraging trip across Nagaland teaches JAPLEEN KAUR valuable lessons in conscious living, community, and the Naga way of life.

- JAPLEEN KAUR

THE AROMA OF FRESHLY prepared Naga beans curry wafted through the air. Two dogs lazed nearby; the drizzle outside had turned therapeutic. I dug into the sticky rice that was served with a side of pork cooked with banana stem. In the courtyard of a small church, somewhere in the Mon district of Nagaland, I felt welcomed in a way that I hadn't in a long, long time.

It was the early days of April; I had joined the team of Gurugrambased OMO cafe on a trip to Nagaland. The restaurant, helmed by three remarkable women-Deepika Sethi, chef Vanshika Bhatia, and Grace Muviah-prides itself on curating ingredient-first menus. They also regularly embark on sourcing trips across the country to bring back ingredients and stories that round off the dishes at OMO.

I got back from the trip with a journal full of lessons in community living, a deeper sense of appreciation for Naga food and cooking methods, and an overwhelming gratitude for the resident Nagas at OMO-Grace Muviah and Athan Zimik (the cultural chief at OMO)who helped create genuine interactions and get honest insights.

"If a Naga family invites you to sit in their kitchen, it means that they trust you," said Zimik as we enjoyed hot mint tea in the kitchen of a Konyak tribe leader. There are as many as 17 Naga tribes in existence today, each with their own dialect, but one thing that binds them together is the love for Naga food and the kitchen that it's cooked in.

A typical Naga kitchen is designed in a way that the element of fire is at the centre. Meals are cooked over an open flame. The smoke drifts upwards towards the wood and bamboo shelves that are suspended from the ceiling. These racks are used to store pork, millets, and other meat, which are smoked over weeks as a method of preservation. Even leftover meat is kept here to be eaten later. This extremely slow process of cooking ensures that the nutrients stay intact.