Indigenous process of cooking foods amongst the Nyishi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Traditional foods of the Nyishis were largely dependent on agricultural products and natural resources found in their jungle and rivers like wild animals, birds, fishes, crabs, fruits, leafy vegetables, etc. They had their own traditional methods of cooking rice, vegetables, meat and fishes. All types of foods had been prepared with the help of firewood. Gradually, the traditional food habits of the Nyishi have been changing due to the growth of modernisation. There is no place for a firewood kitchen in modern building houses and moreover, gas stove, electric cookers and modern utensils have been replaced in the Nyishi kitchen. Modern utensils, edible oils, spices items are available in markets which largely replaced the traditional system. My personal interview with local Nyishis and my observations have helped me with a lot of interesting information about the study area. Therefore, my present paper is intended to bring out the traditional food items and its methods to cook and also highlight its decline and replacement in the modern era.