People, Culture & Food in Dimapur

Dimapur has a cosmopolitan environment, and people from different states across India live in this city. The local Naga community was traditionally made up of several tribes. Most people in Nagaland practice Christianity; in Dimapur, there is a high concentration of Catholics.

The traditional social practice in this region depends on the tribe they come from. In some tribes, marriage is not permitted between members. Some tribes encourage pre-nuptial relationships; in others, it is taboo. Some Nagas pay a bride price to the girl's family before marrying the daughter.

Dance and music are an essential part of Naga culture. There are food influences from all over the world, and you can get any cuisine you want, just like in any major city in the country. However, to experience Dimapur fully, you should try the local delicacies rather than stick to the known ones. A traditional Naga meal will have meat, pork, snail meat, chicken or mutton, smoked, dried, or fermented. Rice is eaten twice a day and is a staple, either boiled or steamed, and the meal is served with several homemade spicy sauces.

Some of the easily available and typical dishes to try out are:

• Hinkejvu, a simple everyday dish made with Colocasia, shredded cabbage leaves, mustard leaves, and some French beans. The vegetables are all steamed in water with just a pinch of salt. The dish is fresh and flavourful.

• Akibiye, made of Colocasia and bamboo shoots in a thick gravy, tastes great when eaten hot with steamed rice.

• Galho a warming soup made of assorted seasonal greens, rice, and vegetables or smoked pork. It is somewhat similar to a North Indian khichdi. It mostly used an assortment of seasonal greens and is flavored with smoked pork or chunks of pork fat.