Breathing Fire And Smoke

The Nagas have some of the spiciest dishes known to mankind. We recently dined with a family of the Sumi tribe to discover that their cuisine is more than just spicy.

- Mehul Reuben Das

To be honest, I was a bit sceptical at the prospect of trying Naga cuisine. Like an average Indian, I had grown up with stories (mostly not true) about the culinary practices of the various tribes of Nagaland. Thanks to the efforts of some international documentary teams, who were deeply entrenched in their search for something primitive and exotic, the images of people with piercings and tattoos all over their faces, happily munching on fried worms and ant eggs have become deeply embedded with the concept of all tribal food.

“Oh rubbish! You’ll love it,” said Simon Mao, a dental student and a friend, who had invited me to have a meal with one of his cousins and her family, the Swus in New Delhi’s East of Kailash. As we rang the doorbell to announce our arrival, we were welcomed by our host for the evening, Evelyn Swu, accompanied by a whiff of roasted spices and stews from her kitchen. Mao was right. I loved every bit of it.