Mizoram is a state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its capital city. The name is derived from “Mizo”, the name of the native people, and “ram”, which means land. Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, rivers, and lakes. It is a popular tourist destination for its scenic beauty.
Mizo cuisine is simple and humble, yet delicious and hearty. The staple food is rice, which is usually boiled and served with vegetables, meat, or fish. The most common vegetables used in Mizo cooking are potatoes, beans, spinach, and cabbage. Mizo cuisine is not very spicy, but the use of chilli peppers is not uncommon.
The most common meats used in Mizo cuisine are pork and chicken. Fish is also a popular ingredient, as Mizoram is a landlocked state. Mizo cuisine is often compared to Thai cuisine, as both cuisines use a lot of fresh herbs and spices. If you are ever in Mizoram, be sure to try some of the traditional dishes.
List of Mizoram’s Traditional Food you’ll like:
1. Bamboo Shoot Fry
The first famous traditional food on this list is the Bamboo Shoot, a completely vegetarian dish. If you are in Mizoram and are fond of vegetarian food, do not miss your chance to have a platter of this amazing food. For preparing this dish, bamboo shoots have first boiled and fried. It is not necessary to boil all types of bamboo shoot fry. Only a few bamboo shoots types need to be fried and then mixed with spices and herbs. Sometimes, mushrooms are also added to bring out the unique flavour, mix, and texture.
2. Panch Phoran Tarka
Panch Phoran Tarka is another famous food of Mizoram that can be prepared either as a vegetarian dish or completely non-vegetarian. For vegetarians, all you need is a lot of vegetables like potatoes, pumpkin and eggplant. For non-vegetarians, this dish is prepared from meat or other poultry items. This dish is meant to be delicious and spicy.
3. Bai
Yet another popular dish in Mizoram is bai. It is prepared from numerous mixtures of boiled veggies, spices, and spices. Meat such as pork is added further with bamboo shoots. So basically, it is a liquid or soup with several leafy & green vegetables, beans, eggplants, and sprouts with other items. The Indian spices and local herbs with bamboo shoots give unique flavour & taste to this traditional food. Pork is a key ingredient of this dish, but if you are vegetarian, avoiding to add. It is one of the healthier and lighter foods, served as a main course meal. When you visit, you can try out this dish anywhere.
4. Koat Pitha
A healthy, yet tasty snack made using rice flour and bananas. In some cases, fish is also added to the dish. This fish is deeply fried, giving the crispy texture from the outside, but at the same time, it is warm & soft from the inside. When it comes to evening snacks or morning breakfast, people of Mizoram can eat this dish. It is a bit sweet due to the availability of bananas. Don’t forget to try this amazing snack when you visit Mizoram.
5. Misa Mach
For those cooking a shrimp based in Mizoram, Misa Mach is something one should try. It is cooked and sometimes grilled in orange zest, lemon juice, mustard oil, and assorted spices. All these ingredients add juicy flavours to this dish. Adding a few drops of lemon helps give a tangy flavour to it.
6. Vawksa Rep
This pork-based recipe is a famous dish in Nagaland. In this dish, some local spices & herbs are added, and cube-shaped pork is used. All these ingredients are grilled in hot smoke and flame. The smoky flavour adds a unique flavour & taste to your taste buds.
7. Chhum Han
It is light and completely healthy food, ideal for all dietarians & health conscious. Chhum Han is a vegetarian food made with numerous veggies. It consists of vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and so on. These veggies are cooked and steamed with ginger and tomato.
8. Artui Chhipchhuan Chow
If you love eating noodles, then don’t miss out on Artui Chhipchhuan Chow in Mizoram. One of the popular snacks in Nagaland, these noodles are cooked with spices and vegetables. It is served with a side-up fried egg.
9. Sawhchiar
One of the mouth-watering non-vegetarian stews, Sawhchiar is made of chicken, mutton, and pork. Other ingredients added to this dish include spices, rice and local herbs.
10. Bekang
Bekang is a fermented Soyabean and a famous recipe in Mizoram cuisine. It is mixed in many dishes to uplift the taste of the food.
Conclusion:
The traditional food of Mizoram is bamboo shoot, which is cooked in a variety of ways. Other popular dishes include rice, fish, and pork.