Waquar Habib
Akini is a dish made of roasted, ground Perilla seeds (a kind of herb from the mint family), cooked with paddy field snails, pork lard, and axone (akhuni, a fermented soybean product).
Akibeye is a spicy, non-vegetarian dish made with mustard leaves and Colocasia roots. The dish has a thick gravy and is cooked with minimal salt and no spices.
Bamboo steamed fish is a traditional Naga-style dish that is easy to prepare and requires only a few essential ingredients, such as fresh fish, garlic, red-dried chillies, bamboo shoots and salt.
Galho or Zawo is a popular Nagaland dish with rice, vegetables, and meat. It's similar to soupy khichdi and can be vegetarian also. Traditional galho uses soybeans and smoked beef/pork.
Hinkejvu is made by boiling colocasia, cabbage leaves, mustard leaves, and French beans with a pinch of salt to bring out the aromas of the greens. Nagaland households make Hinkejvu quite frequently
Samuthu is a slow-cooked curry made with smoked pork, fermented soybean, bamboo shoot vinegar, and a blend of indigenous spices.
Black rice pudding, or nap naang, is a mildly sweet pudding made with sticky black rice, which has a natural nutty flavour.
Rosep Aon is a dry side dish made with mixed vegetables, dry fish, and bamboo shoots and is a signature dish of the Ao Naga tribe.
Zutho is a rice beer from Nagaland. It's the traditional drink of the Nagas and is made by sprouting rice and fermenting it with yeast and enzymes to create a unique flavour.