The North East and India: Food Matters! Part 2

People from the North East have diverse food habit. The differences within us is as different between that of North India and South India. But at the same time it's not so different that it as if there is no similarity at all. Those in the North usually eat roti/chapatti and dal, and those in the South eat rice and dal. Well, many in the North East eat rice and meat. Hindu, Muslims, Christians -- all eat meat in the North East! 

Meat and fish: The meat that are consumed consist of pork, chicken, beef, fish etc. I have never come a vegetarian from the North East, except for one or two who restrained themselves from meat due to medical reason.  Some of us from the NE are shocked to hear about some people in North India who have never eaten meat in their lifetime. Meat is so common with many of us that the concept of a vegetarian is just so alien to us. 

Vegetables and rice: We eat rice a lot. We do not eat chapatti/roti as part of our normal diet. Most people would feel their tummy unfilled even after having eaten ten pieces of roti. It is because our tummy is built for rice, and only rice can do the job well. Usually people eat brunch. The concept of breakfast, lunch and dinner don't quite work like that. The sun rises early in the NE. But the more important factor is the lifestyle of the people. In the village people eat their LUNCH/BRUNCH at 0730 hours. Now the government offices give lunch hour at 1300 hours. This is quite at odd with the lifestyle of the people. No one eats lunch at 1, except for those officers who might have been transferred to the NE from other part of India. So at 1, people would go for tea or light afternoon meal. At 1900-2000 hours, we go for dinner. So people eat early, sleep early and get up early. We eat vegetables as well. People grow cabbage, potato, brinjal, mustard leaf, etc. Even with a dish of meat, there has to be a vegetable dish too. 

Ferment Stuff:  Quite a lot of people love to eat fermented bamboo shoot. And that too with meat. Fermented bamboo has strong smell or rather aroma, depending on how one feels. And it tastes great. Another fermented item is soyabean. And the third fermented item is the fish. North East people find the smell of hing terrible; others may find the smell of fermented soyabean or fish terrible. Well, I guess since we need to live together, we better learn to accept or tolerate the food habit of other people! But not everybody from the NE eats such kind of fermented fish.

Momo: Not everyone from the NE eats momo. I first saw momo when I came to Delhi. It's quite common with those in Darjeeling-Sikkim area. 

NB: There are some people in North India specially who want ban cow slaughter or cow meat. I think NE people would give three choices: 1. India splits up 2. You give up roti-rice-dal altogether and we give up meat, or 3. You eat your food and we eat our food.