Nov16,2023
A large chunk of the Northeast, almost ten per cent of the total geographical area is covered by bamboo. Hence, it is hardly surprising that bamboo shoots occupy an integral place in the region’s food culture.
Some of the tribal communities in Nagaland also ferment bamboo shoots wherein the shoots are stuffed in a conical bamboo basket impaled with a hole on its rear end to squeeze out the juices which are then stored and brought out of the pantry whenever the occasion calls.
In Manipur, fermented bamboo shoots go by the name ‘soibum’ or ‘soijin. The bamboo shoots that go into the making of soibum or soijin are made to sit in an earthen pot.
People in Meghalaya mainly use the shoots of the Dendrocalamus hamiltonii for fermentation wherein chopped shoots of these species are left to ferment in a water-filled container made out of bamboo.
Various tribal communities in Tripura also ferment bamboo shoots in earthen pots which go by the names Moiya koshak (Debbarman and Uchoi Tribes), Medukeye (Chakma Tribe) or Melye amiley (Chakma tribe).
In Arunachal Pradesh, Bamboo shoots go by different names depending on the dialect and tribe of those preparing it. Examples are Ekung from the Nishi community, Iku from the Adi community and Hikku from the Apatani tribe.
In Sikkim fermented bamboo shoots are called mesu which are collected from the species Bhalu Bans, Chuya Bans and the Karati Bans