Dimapur travel guide

Naga pork

Nagaland's defining cuisine element—pork prepared with Raja mircha (Naga ghost chili, world's hottest), bamboo shoot, fermented axone and dried fish; the combination produces flavors of extreme complexity; eating at a Naga home is considered one of India's greatest food experiences

Smoked meat

Nagaland and Northeast India's fermented smoked pork—whole pieces of pork or beef smoked over wood fire for days until preserved; stored for months and eaten with rice, bamboo shoot and axone; the smoky preservation is an ancient tradition that now defines the region's food identity

Axone (fermented soybean)

Nagaland's powerful fermented soybean condiment—whole soybeans fermented in banana leaves for 2-3 days until deeply funky and strongly flavored; essential to pork dishes; so pungent it's been banned on flights and in hotels; available at Kohima's Naga market stalls

Bamboo shoot dishes

Northeast India's universal cooking ingredient—both fresh and fermented bamboo shoots appear in Naga, Mizo, Manipuri, Arunachali and Sikkimese cooking daily; fermented bamboo (khorisa in Assam, mesu in Sikkim) provides sourness; fresh bamboo is crunchy and mild

Raja mircha (king chilli)

Nagaland's Bhut jolokia—the former world's hottest chili at 1 million Scoville units; used fresh or dried in Naga cooking; handles must be washed immediately; the heat is sudden and sustained; sold at Kohima market in fresh bunches; carries a GI tag from Nagaland