The Mizo Food Ethic: Simplicity and Selflessness

Mizoram, tucked away in the North Eastern corner of the Indian subcontinent, is a state with one of lowest population densities in the country. It received statehood in 1976 and is geographically isolated from the mainland. The state got its first and only airport as late as in 1998. Despite its gorgeous topography marked by untamed wilderness, lush forests, serene hills and sparkling rivers, the state is rarely featured on the tourist’s map. Urbanisation has been a relatively late phenomenon here. However, the wealth of the region doesn’t quite lie in bustling metropolises and technological wonders. It lies in something much deeper and more significant- in the warm hearts and generosity of its people. The world has much to learn from the Mizos and their philanthropy, and a lot of it revolves around food and hospitality.

On being invited for a feast, traditional Mizo etiquette demands that one politely decline the invitation up until the point that one is asked a few more times. This peculiar behaviour is a manifestation of what the Mizos term as Tlawmngaihna. The concept of Tlawmngaihna can be loosely translated as an ideal of selflessness or putting others before oneself. Tlawmngaihna demands that while an invitee exhibits modesty and is not too eager to accept an invitation, the host goes all out in throwing as grand a feast as possible. Tlawmngaihna also dictates that the community as a whole supports the host with both labour and material. Under Tlawmngaihna, gluttony is conceived as disgraceful and condemnable. Tlawmngaihna is not only confined to hospitality, but extends to all spheres of life. The smooth functioning of traditional Mizo society and economy was, in fact, greatly dependant upon this social and ethical code of conduct.

Mizoram is a landlocked state which shares boundaries with Assam in the North, Manipur in the North East and Tripura in the North West. It also shares international boundaries with Myanmar in the East and South, and Bangladesh in the West. The topography of the state is defined by hills and a massive forest cover. The climate of the region ranges from subtropical to temperate with abundant rainfall. The state is also well-endowed with water bodies and some of the notable rivers are Lusei, Hmar, Ralte and Pawi. The economy of the state has traditionally been based on Jhum cultivation also known as “slash and burn” and the shifting method of agriculture. This form of cultivation has, however, been discouraged in recent times keeping in view the adverse effects it has on the environment.

Rice is the staple food of the region. Maize and millets are also grown and may replace rice in times of scarcity. The land is fertile and is suitable for cultivating a variety of vegetables and fruits. Apart from agricultural crops, the products of the forest also play an important role in subsistence. Various kinds of tubers, roots and ferns - items traditionally foraged from the forest, feature in the local menu. The composition of the indigenous population is formed of groups coming in migratory waves over the centuries from the Shan region (Myanmar) and beyond. The coming of colonial rulers and Christian missionaries in the 19th century brought about major changes in the political, social and economic lives of the Mizos. The British rulers introduced a number of new crops in the region which were gradually assimilated in the indigenous diet. Christianity spread rapidly in the region under the auspices of the evangelists and today the majority of the population practice the Christian faith. The onset of Christianity brought its own set of taboos and prescriptions that influenced the food habits of the region.

Keeping in tune with the general way of life, the Mizo culinary repertoire is simple and modest. Food in Mizo cuisine is mostly boiled, smoked, stewed, steamed and fermented. Rice constitutes the main component of the meal and is accompanied by various stewed dishes, boiled vegetables and chutneys. Earlier, people even used to consume plain balls of rice as snacks in between main meals. Balls of rice tied in plantain leaves were also carried by the farmers to the fields. Apart from the fruits and seeds, the leaves and stems of vegetables such as pumpkins, beans, mustard, cowpea, pigeon peas, soybean etc. form an important part of the menu.

Mizo cuisine uses very minimal oil. The main flavour-inducing agents are salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric and parsley. A variety of indigenous herbs such as Chingit, Bhakhawr (culantro) and tender bamboo shoots are also used for seasoning. Fermented items are also added to dishes to impart pungency and aroma. Mizo food has its roots in South Asian culinary practices, an important example being the prevalence of fermented foods. Traditionally, vegetables and meats were fermented and processed for use in times of scarcity. Fiery chutneys, made out of indigenous chillies, are important accompaniments to a meal. It is believed that unlike other parts of the Indian subcontinent, chillies travelled to Mizoram from South-East Asia (and not via the sea from the New World). A number of vegetables and fruits which are an integral part of the culinary basket of the region, such as potatoes, apples, pineapples, pears, mustard and oranges, were introduced in the region by the British rulers. It might be surprising to learn that before the British arrived, milk did not form a significant part of the diet of the Mizos. The colonial rulers also trained native cooks to prepare British dishes such as cake, pie, pudding and custard. The Mizo culinary basket today includes a variety of meat dishes of mainly chicken and pork. However, it is said that the ubiquity of meat on the Mizo dining table is a modern phenomenon. Traditionally, meat used to be a privileged delicacy consumed regularly only by the affluent. Meat was mostly enjoyed by the community as a whole during feasts and festivities. The significance of meat in traditional Mizo society can be gleaned from the fact that it was often paid as tribute to clan chiefs and as fee to officiating priests of the community. In fact, salt known as Chi in Mizo, was also a rare commodity reserved for guests and it also constituted an item of tribute.

The quintessential Mizo dish is undoubtedly the Bai - a stew made of seasonal vegetables that can be prepared with or without meat. The commonly used vegetables are pumpkin leaves, spinach, beans, French bean leaves, potatoes, eggplant etc. Any preferred combination of vegetables can be used for preparing Bai. Some of the most popular varieties of Bai are Maian (pumpkin) Bai, Behlawi (cowpea leaf) Bai and Rawtuai (bamboo shoot) Bai. The process of preparation is simple - the vegetables are chopped and then boiled in water with salt and baking soda. Various flavouring agents are also added to the Bai such as Bekang-um (fermented soya bean), Chhi-um (fermented sesame) and Tam-um (fermented mustard). Preparing an authentic Bai requires the use of these indigenous ingredients the availability of which is very rare outside Mizoram. In fact, even baking soda is a modern replacement for Chingal, a traditional Mizo ash filtrate.

Another unique taste enhancer is Sa-um or processed pig fat, prepared by fermenting pieces of fatty pork in a dried gourd for a few days. Besides cooking, Sa-um has also been traditionally used for washing purposes due to its strong alkaline properties. Fermented items are also made into pungent and spicy chutneys apart from being used as seasoning agents. Rice and Bai are often accompanied by a stir fry of seasonal vegetables. Mizo cuisine doesn’t have a distinct repertoire of desserts. Chhangban is a rice cake prepared out of sticky rice and enjoyed as a snack.

Pork is a very popular meat in Mizo cuisine and is smoked, stewed and dried, and prepared into various delicacies. Vawk-sarep is a smoked pork delicacy prepared with very little oil and spices. Sarep is the general term used for all kinds of smoked meat. Smoked pork has its own appetising flavour and is best prepared with minimal use of flavouring agents. The leaves of an indigenous plant called Anthur (Roselle) provide a delectable sour edge to the dish. Fried pork skin is a very popular dish of Mizoram. Various rare delicacies are also prepared by using pork innards and stomach. Sawchair is a wholesome porridge-like dish prepared with either chicken or pork and rice, seasoned with onions, garlic and chillies. Sanpiau is a unique Mizo snack with a base of rice porridge topped with lip-smacking layers of fried Sanpiau crisps, chilli chutney and fried chicken. This dish, which is now a popular street-food of Mizoram, is believed to have travelled from Myanmar.

Zu means ‘alcohol’ in Mizo. Zufang is the beloved traditional Mizo rice beer, a popular beverage of the region. It is consumed during feasts and festivities. The drinking of Zu along with feasting and dance features in the three significant harvest festivals of Mizoram: Chapchar Kut (celebrated after the completion of Jhum cultivation in early March), Mim Kut (celebrated after the harvest of maize in August and September), and Pawl Kut (Straw festival celebrated in December). The Christian missionaries who accompanied the colonial rulers into Mizoram were scandalised by the widespread use of Zu in Mizo festivities. As Christianity spread rapidly among the indigenous clans, the missionaries encouraged abstinence from liquor and the consumption of tea instead.

Traditional Mizo cuisine has not yet received the recognition that it deserves among the food connoisseurs of the country. The unavailability of indigenous Mizo ingredients outside the state has also limited the spread of this cuisine beyond the North Eastern region. However, in recent years, due to the efforts of some enterprising people from the region, traditional Mizo food items are available in processed and packaged form facilitating their transport to various parts of the country. Yet, some mourn the rapid erosion of elaborate traditional methods of food preparation in the face of the onslaught of technology and modern lifestyle.

It is held that subsistence patterns and culinary traditions are integral components of a larger and authentic Mizo way of life. Thus, erosion in one crucial aspect affects the integrity of the whole. However, tradition and social ethos are dynamic and keep manifesting in ever newer forms. A very poignant example in this regard is the Mizo tradition of Nghah Lou Dawr or shops without attendants. These shops involve small makeshift bamboo structures with vegetables neatly spread on a platform, a rate list and a box for depositing money with no shopkeepers or attendants around. The customers are expected to pick up the items they need and deposit the requisite money in the box. The entire system runs on the basis of trust. This system of commerce based on individual integrity fits into the overarching collective ethic of Tlawmngaihna which enjoins upon people to not be selfish, greedy and deceitful, ultimately leading to a co-dependent and harmonious society. The system of Nghah Lou Dawr also assumes special importance today in a world ravaged by a pandemic wherein social distancing and contactless commerce is of pivotal importance. It rekindles the possibility of a world in which human relationships are based on integrity, morality and a desire for collective good rather than cut-throat competition and a blinkered individualism.