Famous food of Nagaland: Nagaland cuisine

Naga food is known for smoked and fermented flavours and for the raja mircha, one of the hottest chillies in the world.

Smoked meat and bamboo shoot

Pork smoked over the kitchen fire and cooked with bamboo shoot or dried yam leaves is Nagaland's best-known dish. Fish, chicken and beef are also smoked and dried.

Fermented flavours and chillies

Axone, fermented soybean, gives many dishes a strong, rich taste. The Naga king chilli (raja mircha or bhut jolokia), which has a geographical indication (GI) tag, is used fresh, dried and in chutneys.

Other dishes and drinks

Galho is a thick rice porridge with vegetables and meat, and anishi, a cake of dried colocasia leaves, is an Ao favourite. Zutho, a rice beer, is served at festivals. The Hornbill Festival every December is the best place to taste food from all the Naga tribes.

Sources

• Nagaland Tourism: Government of Nagaland
• Hornbill Festival: Government of Nagaland
• Government of Nagaland: official portal
• Incredible India: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
• Indian Culture: the Ministry of Culture's portal on India's arts, crafts and heritage