IX. Fermented and preserved animal foods
1. Ngari
2. Hentak
3. Tungtap
4. Fermented fish
5. Crab
6. Animal fats
7. Fish
8. Utonggari
9. Kargyong
10. Kheuri
11. Satchu
12. Suka Ko Masu
13. Chilu
14. Chartayshya
15. Geema (Jamma)
Other fermented and preserved animal foods – Sukako, Sha-kampo, Gnuchi,
Sidra, Sukuti, Karoti, Bardia, Sukako machha, Sukula, Singiamis.
1. Ngari
Place of origin/usage: Manipur and Assam.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Time of consumption: As curry.
Usual composition/ingredients: Puntius sophore (‘Phoubu’) Fish.
Method of preparation: Following two methods are practiced.
Fish is washed with water using porous bamboo based baskets and allowed to drain. Next
day morning, the head and bones are removed and pressed using gunny bags to remove
excess water. Oil released from head during pressing is believed to cause initiating
fermentation. In the mean time, inner surface of earthen pot (capacity of 45-50 kg) is
coated with mustard oil. For new pots, 8-10 times oil coating are required with interval of
7-10 days. In old pots, only one coat is sufficient for fermentation. Oil coating might be
creating anaerobic environment inside the chamber. The pressed dry fish is packed tightly
inside the pot. After packing, pots are sealed with polythene sheet, fish scales, oil slurry,
mud and cow dung slurry. These packed pots are kept in dark up to 6-12 months at room
temperature.
The fish (Puntius sophore) is rubbed with salt, dried in the sun for 3-4 days, pressed tightly
in an earthen pot, sealed airtight and then stored at room temperature for 4-6 months.
Nature of fermentation: Lactic acid fermentation.
Condition(s) of fermentation: Anaerobic condition is necessary.
Microorganism(s) involved: Lactococcus lactis sub sp. cremoris, Lactococcus plantarum,
Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus fructosus, L.amylophilus, L.corneformis sub sp.
torquens and Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, B. pumilus, Micrococcus, Candida
and Saccharomycopsis.
Method of consumption: Side dish with cooked rice.
Nutritional profile of food: 18% moisture, 45% proteins, 19% lipids and 11% ash.
Reference(s): Sarojnalini and Vishwanath, 1994, Thapa et al., 2004, Jeyaram et al., 2009.
2. Hentak
Place of origin/usage: Manipur.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Esomus danricus (Fish), petioles of Alocasia macrorhiza.
Method of preparation: The sun dried Esomus danricus are crushed to powder, the petioles of
Alocasia macrorhiza are cut into pieces washed with water and exposed to sunlight for an
hour. An equal weight of the cut pieces is then crushed along with fish powder to make a
paste. Small balls are prepared and put in earthen pots and stored. After two weeks of
fermentation, it is ready to use and are preserved.
Nature of fermentation: Lactic acid fermentation.
Microorganism(s) involved: Lactococcus lactis sub sp. cremoris, Lactococcus plantarum,
Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus fructosus, L.amylophilus, L.corneformis sub sp.
torquens, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, B. pumilus, Micrococcus, Candida and
Saccharomycopsis.
Method of consumption: Consumed as curry as well as a condiment with boiled rice.
Method of storage/preservation: These become hardened on keeping for few months and are
then propounded to paste with a little water and stored as balls for reserve food.
Reference(s): Sarojnalini and singh, 1988, Jeyaram et al., 2009
3. Tungtap
Place of origin/usage: Mahalaya.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Danio sp. (Fish).
Method of preparation: Danio sp. is mixed with salt kept in an earthen pot and fermented for
4-7 days.
Nature of fermentation: Lactic acid fermentation.
Microorganism(s) involved: Lactococcus lactis sub sp. cremoris, Lactococcus plantarum,
Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus fructosus, L.amylophilus, L.corneformis sub sp.
Torquens, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, B. pumilus, Micrococcus, Candida
and Saccharomycopsis.
Method of consumption: This fermented fish paste consumed as a pickle.
Nutritional profile of food: Tungtap (100g) contains dry matter content was 66.5g, protein
40.6g, fat 19.6g, fiber 0.4g and ash 32.2g, Ca 5040mg, P 1930mg, Na 6.26mg and K
53.18mg.
Reference(s): Thapa et al., 2004, Murugkar and Subbulakshmi, 2006.
4. Fermented fish
Place of origin/usage: Manipur.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Importance of the food: The process of fermentation, however, enhances the palatability
basically by softening the bones and improving the flavor and texture of the meat. Trash
fishes are small in size and bony in nature and are often discarded or used as animal feed.
Usual composition/ingredients: Puntias sophore (Trash fish).
Method of preparation: The fish (Puntias sophore) is initially descaled and degutted. Salt is
applied thoroughly on the inside as well as the outside. The fish is then placed in a clay
pot. The clay pot is filled with a mixture of salt and either fish fat or pork fat, covered
using a banana leaf and bound tightly at the rim using a jute cord. This clay pot is then
left as such for a period of 6-7 months at room temperature. After this time, the cord is
opened and the fish is taken out. The extra salt and fat is removed with the help of a sharp
knife and the fish is used.
Nature of fermentation: Lactic acid fermentation.
Microorganism(s) involved: Lactic acid bacteria.
Method of consumption: The fish has a soft spongy texture and is commonly used in the
form of ‘Chutney’ with green leaves, onions and chillies. In this case, the whole fish
including the head and bones (which soften during fermentation) are consumed.
Reference(s): Murugkar and Subbulakshmi, 2006.
5. Crab
Place of origin/usage: Northeastern India
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Crabs, Sesamum orientale L. (ground blacktil).
Method of preparation: Crabs are washed, hard appendages and entrails removed, ground
and mixed properly with Sesamum orientale L. (ground blacktil) wrapped in banana
leaves, Macaranga indica or Phrynium pubinerve leaf and kept over the fireplace in the
kitchen for a week to ferment. On opening the wrapped banana leaf, it gives a strong
inherent smell and is ready for use in cooking or chutney preparation.
Reference(s): Mao and Odyuo, 2007.
6. Animal fats
Place of origin/usage: Northeastern India.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Animal fat.
Method of preparation: Similar to fish fermentation.
Method of cooking: The fermented fat is stored in the bamboo and usually a spoon of it is
added during cooking of vegetable curry to soften the vegetables and also it impart nice
taste to the curry.
Reference(s): Mao and Odyuo, 2007.
7. Fish
Place of origin/usage: Northeastern India.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Small fishes.
Method of preparation: Small fishes are used as a whole and big ones are cut into smaller
pieces. Fish is washed and put inside a bamboo (normally in Dendrocalamus hamiltonii
Nees et Arn. ex Munro) and tightly plugged with leaves and kept over the fire place for
fermentation. Within few days, the fish becomes fermented and ready for use as a taste
maker for vegetable curry.
Period of storage/preservation: The fermented fish can only be stored for a period of one
month as it rots gradually and becomes unpalatable.
Reference(s): Mao and Odyuo, 2007.
8. Utonggari
Place of origin/usage: Assam.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Fishes.
Preferred quality of raw materials: Local fish (named ‘phobou’).
Method of preparation: In an earthen pot, the required quantity of fish are put air tightly and
after pressing it, the post is covered with the mud and left for over 2-3 months for
fermentation. Sometimes, the whole earthen pot is covered with banana leaves and mud to
make it airtight. After 2-3 months, earthen pot is opened and fermented fish is taken out for
use.
Method of consumption: It is consumed along with fermented bamboo shoots and leafy
vegetables.
Reference(s): Singh et al., 2007(b).
9. Kargyong
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Meat of yak/cattle/pigs.
Method of preparation: It is usually prepared during November to December. It is soft or
hard and brownish in colour. During preparation, the lean meat of yak/ cattle/ pigs with its
fat are chopped finely, and combined with crushed garlic, ginger and required amount of salt
and mixed with little amount of water. The mixture is stuffed into the segment of gastrointestinal tract of animal (yak/ox/pig) locally called gyuma, used as natural casings with 3-4
cm in diameter and 40-60 cm length. One end of the casing is tied up with rope and other
end is sealed after stuffing and boiled for 20-30 min. Cooked sausages are taken out and
hung in the bamboo stripes above the kitchen oven for smoking and drying for 10-15 days
or more to make kargyong. Due to use of natural casings, kargyong has a natural curve
shape.
Method of consumption: Kargyong is eaten after boiling for 10-15 min, sliced and fried in
edible oil by adding onion, tomato, powdered or ground chilies, and salt and is made into
curry. It is also consumed as fried sausage with, a distilled liquor or chyaang/kodo ko jaanr,
mild alcoholic finger millet based beverage. Kargyong is also eaten as cooked sausage
before fermentation.
Related/Varied forms of the food: Three varieties of kargyong are prepared and consumed:
Yak kargyong (prepared from yak meat), Lang kargyong (prepared from beef) and Faak
kargyong (prepared from pork). Yak kargyong is a popular fermented sausage in North
Sikkim, Ladak and Tibet. Faak kargyong is also prepared by the non-vegetarian
Nepalis/Gorkha of Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills of India and Nepal. They use pig as well
as goat intestine as natural casings to stuff the meat mixture (chopped pork/chevon) as
described above.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
10. Kheuri
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Yak/beef meat.
Method of preparation: It is prepared during winter or depending upon the availability of
meat. Yak/beef meat, its intestine and fat are chopped into pieces, mixed with required
amount of salt. The meat mixture is filled into an empty stomach of sheep, locally called
previously cleaned and cleared sheep stomach (‘khyabo’), stitched the opening and pressed
with a heavy load for 5-10 hours. After pressing, it is kept for 1 to 2 months in an open air
outside the kitchen for fermentation. Nowadays, the people of North Sikkim have stopped
preparing kheuri because of unavailability of the sheep stomach due to ban on slaughtering
high altitude sheep.
Method of consumption: Kheuri dish is prepared by frying in yak or cow butter, locally
called ‘maa’, mixed with chopped ginger, onion, garlic, powdered or ground chilies, salt and
made into thick curry. It is also eaten by boiling it for 10-15 min with salt. Kheuri dish is
consumed with main meals by the Bhutia and the Lepcha as side-dish or curry with baked
potatoes.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
11. Satchu
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Red meat of yak/beef.
Importance of the food: Satchu can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. This is a
natural type of preservation of perishable fresh raw meat in absence of refrigeration or cold
storage.
Method of preparation: Red meat of yak/beef is sliced into several strands of about 60-90 cm
and is mixed thoroughly with turmeric powder, edible oil or butter and salt. The meat strands
are hung in the bamboo stripes or wooden stick and are kept in an open air in corridor of the
house or are smoked above the kitchen oven for 10-15 days as per the convenience of the
consumers.
Method consumption: Satchu is made into curry by washing and soaking in water briefly,
squeeze, and fry in yak/cow butter with chopped garlic, ginger, chili and salt. Thick gravy is
made which is consumed with noodles in soup (thukpa) and boiled or baked potatoes by the
Bhutia, Tibetan, Dhukpa, Lepcha and Sherpa. Deep fried satchu is popular side-dish of the
ethnic people which is eaten with traditional alcoholic beverages in every house, or in special
occasions. Satchu is also eaten as such. Yak satchu (prepared from yak meat) is usually
prepared for home consumption.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
12. Suka Ko Masu
Place of origin/usage: Darjeeling hills and Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Time of consumption: Festival seasons.
Usual composition/ingredients: Red meat of buffalo or goat.
Method of preparation: It is prepared by cutting the red meat of buffalo or goat into a stripe
up to 25-30 cm and turmeric powder, mustard oil and salt are added and mixed thoroughly.
Mixed meat stripes are hung above the earthen kitchen oven and smoked for 7-10 days. After
complete drying, the smoked meat product is called suka ko masu or seakua, which can be
stored at room temperature for several weeks.
Method of consumption: Suka ko masu is washed and soaked in lukewarm water for 10 min,
excess water is squeezed out and fried in heated mustard oil, with chopped onion, ginger,
chili power and salt. Coriander leaves are sprinkled over the curry and is eaten with boiled
rice.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
13. Chilu
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Usual composition/ingredients: Yak/beef/lamb meat.
Method of preparation: Fatty portions of freshly slaughtered meat (yak/beef/lamb) are
separated, kneaded by hand and pressed into the cleaned and empty stomach of sheep
(previously slaughtered) and then stitched. This stuffed meat is pressed with heavy stones
for about 5-10 hours, and are kept hanging in the corridor of the house in wooden plank for
10-15 days.
Method of consumption: Chilu is used in place of edible oil for cooking; it can be used for a
year or more.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
14. Chartayshya
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Time of consumption: Festival seasons.
Usual composition/ingredients: Red goat meat.
Method of preparation: Red goat meat is cut into small pieces of 3-4 cm, mixed with salt,
sewed in a long thread and is hung in the bamboo stripes or wooden stick and is kept in an
open air in corridor of the house for 15-20 days. It can be kept at room temperature for
several weeks for future consumption.
Method of consumption: Curry is made by frying in edible oil with tomato, ginger, garlic,
onion and salt. This is the most delicious meat item of the Kumaun Himalayas. The ethnic
people of the Kumaun Himalayas prepare chartayshya curry especially during kolatch
festival (worshiping the ancestral spirit) and offer to ancestors before eating.
Related/Varied forms of the food: Sukha sikhar.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
15. Geema
Other names, if any: Jamma.
Place of origin/usage: Sikkim.
Nature of food: Animal based.
Time of consumption: Festival seasons.
Usual composition/ingredients: Red goat meat.
Method of preparation: Red goat meat is chopped into fine pieces; ground Eleusine
coracana (finger millet), wild pepper locally called timbur (Zanthoxylum sp), chili powder
and salt are added and mixed. A little amount of fresh animal blood is also added. Meat
mixture is made semi-liquid by pouring water and stuffed into the small intestine of goat of
about 2-3 cm in diameter and 100-120 cm length with the help of funnel, and tied the both
ends of the long intestine. It is pricked randomly to prevent bursting while boiling. After
boiling for 15-20 min, stuffed intestine are smoked above the kitchen oven for 15-20 days.
Method of consumption: It is consumed as curry by mixing with onion, garlic, ginger,
tomato and salt. It is also deep fried and is eaten with local alcoholic beverages. Sometimes,
gemma may be eaten as cooked sausage.
Reference(s): Rai et al., 2009.
The following products are used as traditional animal based foods of Himalaya, Sikkim,
Darjeeling, Bhutan, Manipur and Assam.
Other traditional animal based foods of Himalaya, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan, Manipur
and Assam.
S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Product
Sukako
Sha-kampo
Gnuchi
Sidra
Sukuti
Karoti
Bardia
Sukako machha
Sukula
Singiamis
Raw materials
Mutton/ pork
Beef/yak
River fish
Fish
Fish
Fish
Fish
River fish
Buffalo meat
Fish
Area
Himalaya
Sikkim
Darjeeling, Sikkim
Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan
Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan
Assam
Assam
Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan
Sikkim
Manipur