When Nagas smoke meat, they preserve the past

Mint

3 days ago

Naga Smoking Techniques with Toshi and Annie Jamir
What alchemy of fire and wood turns a portly pig into silken-fleshed deliciousness? I was hoping Annie Jamir, the owner of Longchen homestay, would detail out the processes, but she directed me to her husband. 'Talk to Toshi. He's a smoking hound. He's hardcore,' she said.
Clad in a black hat, white polo tee, and khaki shorts, Toshi joined us at the machang, an alfresco bamboo platform where breakfast was served the next morning. A purist at heart, he regards smoking as a true labour of love. 'You gotta slog to get it right. There are no shortcuts,' he said, his passion for the art reflecting in the seriousness of his expression.
The rituals of cleaning, curing, and smoking were muscle memory to the aficionado, who credited his early training to his mother. 'Mum was a Khasi from Shillong, but more Naga in her ways than dad. She taught me to use every last morsel of the animal, including the hide,' he shared.
Later, as an officer in the Assam Regiment, Toshi upped his smoking game by observing his batchmates. 'The regiment was a mix of people from different northeastern tribes—Kukis, Khasis, Bodos, Jaintias, Nagas, Mizos, and others. Each had his own technique and process, and we learnt constantly from one another,' he recounted.
Also read: How bamboo shoot flavours the cuisines of North-east India
Thrown on the frontlines for months on end, smoking meat meant survival. 'Wild boar, deer, jungle fowl, monkeys—we hunted and smoked it all. We had such a gala time, we even forgot our families!' he said, guffawing.
The retired military man makes the most out of the working farm around their homestay—from the hogs penned in the woods to the open outer kitchen where he smokes meat throughout the year.
Though smoking techniques vary across the sixteen Naga tribes, the tried and tested method followed by Toshi is broadly representative. Sourcing his pork from the neighbourhood butcher, he insists on cleaning and cutting the carcass himself. Salting, which dehydrates the meat and serves an essential anti-microbial function, is the crucial next step. Toshi also uses a coarse, dry rub of cracked pepper mixed with red chillies or dried lemon leaves to flavour the meat. 'You can use any spice you like. Just keep it simple,' he said, adding that the flavour of the meat must not be overwhelmed.
Smoking organically over traditional bamboo racks, Toshi likes to build and tend his fires manually. The charred appeal of smoked meat, he explained, derives in large part from the chemical properties of hardwood. Cellulose and lignin, present in the cells of wood, yield aromatic compounds during combustion, imparting a toasty scent. The Maillard reaction, responsible for the browning of meat, does the rest, imbuing the flesh with subtle savoury, sweet, and bitter flavour notes.
The end result—a preserved, flavoured, and partially cooked hunk of meat—is used by each of the Naga tribes differently. Toshi swore by his signature dish, a searingly pungent smoked pork and bamboo shoot curry. 'It's sure to make you sweat,' he promised.
Luckily, tamoming, the Changki delicacy the couple fed me, was anything but lethal. Made from smoked pork cooked with mashed potatoes, tomatoes, and dried chillies, its taste was mellow, with the subtle spiciness from the herbs gently seasoning the dish.
My session with the Jamirs was revelatory. When Nagas smoke meat, they keep alive the most ancient method of preserving food known to mankind. Transcending mere utility, the ritual channels a primitive, almost atavistic, desire to connect with our prehistoric past.
Eons ago, someone put some flesh over flame and turned it into a piece of smoky scrumptiousness.
It must have felt like abracadabra then. To me, it still does.
RIKYNTI SYIEM'S SMOKED PORK WITH BAMBOO SHOOTS
Serves 4, time taken 1–1.5 hours
INGREDIENTS
Smoked pork ½ kg
Garlic 6–8 cloves
Black sesame Roasted and pounded, 1 tbsp
Bamboo shoots 4 tbsp, chopped
Green/red chillies 3–4
Salt to taste
METHOD
Wash the smoked pork and boil in water.
After boiling for about 30 minutes, add bamboo shoots. Boil for some more time.
Add crushed garlic cloves or garlic paste.
Add black sesame seed paste.
Add some chillies and salt and cook till the bamboo shoots become tender.
Serve hot.
Also read: Once derided as 'stinky', Naga food now fuels entrepreneurship
Excerpted with permission from 'An Invitation to Feast' by Sona Bahadur, published by Aleph Book Company.