Itanagar travel guide

Thukpa

Tibetan noodle soup found throughout the Himalayas—hand-rolled wheat noodles in a clear or tomato broth with vegetables and sometimes meat; Sikkim and Darjeeling's versions use yak or pork; warming at altitude and available at 3am from street vendors during the cold months

Apong (rice beer)

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh's rice beer—fermented from cooked rice with starter cultures of herbs and dried leaves; consumed at Mishing community festivals in Assam and at Arunachal's tribal ceremonies; the specific herb starter creates a flavor unlike any commercial beer

Pika pila

Sikkim's fermented bamboo shoot pickle—the specific Himalayan bamboo species cut young and fermented in brine for months; intensely sour, crunchy and pungent; eaten as a condiment alongside thukpa, rice or any Sikkimese meal; the fermentation vessels are earthen pots

Smoked meats

Northeast India's universal preserved food tradition—beef, pork and game smoked over local wood (oak, rhododendron, bamboo); each community's smoke intensity and wood choice creates distinct flavors; at Naga, Mizo and Arunachal tribal markets, various smoked meats are available

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