It wasn’t until my trip to Nagaland that I truly appreciated the ancient art of foraging, which predates a run to the vegetable market (remember subzi mandi? — yes GenZ, that was a thing) and online grocery shopping. So, there I was, on the side of a road, on our way down the hilltop of Longwa village, looking for my dinner.
I was staying in Mon district and foraging through the villages of Tizit, Longwa, and Chenwetnyu.
After some help, I managed to bag some really delicious stems of knotweed (Hanahahn). And for someone who loves her rasam extra sour, this stem was a revelation. “It is not just about what is growing in our backyards, it is also about what is growing in our sacred forest and our neighbours’ homes,” muses Wungnaothan Zimik, known among friends as Athan, a former banker-turned -chef , who is a veritable trove of Naga folklore and gastronomic secrets passed down by his forefathers.
