12 Famous Food of Arunachal Pradesh: Dishes & Beverages (2024)

Arunachal Pradesh, like its sister states, is a state well known for its culture and traditions. The food of the Northeast is as significant as its beautiful landscapes. The cuisine of Arunachal Pradesh has a tribal influence and varies among tribes and from region to region. The staple food of Arunachal Pradesh is rice along with Fish, green vegetables and meat. The people of Arunachal Pradesh use dried bamboo and a lot of herbs in their food. The people of Northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, are not fond of fried food, they prefer healthy and balanced food with minimum oil.

12 Famous Food of Arunachal Pradesh: Dishes & Beverages

Rice

Rice is the staple food of Arunachal Pradesh food with any dish as a side dish. The rice is cooked in two different ways. The first one is the unique and important method where rice is cooked in a hollow bamboo with some hot coal over it for a different flavour. In the second method, the rice is cooked using brass utensils, and before serving, the rice is wrapped in leaves for a delicious flavour.

Bamboo Shoot

Every dish in Arunachal Pradesh is incomplete without a few bamboo shoots. In this popular and traditional dish, the tender bamboo is marinated in baking soda, and ground spices are cooked on a low flame. It is a side dish that is hot and crispy. The bamboo shoots are eaten with chutneys, boiled vegetables and cooked meat. 

Pika Pila

It is a famous type of a pickle that is made by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. It is one of the favourites and a popular accompaniment of food. Pika Pila is made by using bamboo shoot and pork fat with some king chilly.

Lukter

Lukter is another delicacy of the state. It is made using cooked dry meat with chilly flakes from the King chilly or Bhut Jolokia. It is also a side dish and eaten with traditionally prepared rice.

Pehak

Pehak is another side dish which is a type of spicy chutney. It is made by fermented soya bean and chilli. The chilly in it makes it hot and spicy. This dish is best served with steamed rice and Lukter. The flavoured rice with this chutney makes for a great dish.

Chura Sabji

Chura Sabzi is a type of a curry that is made by fermented cheese which is made by either yak milk or cow’s milk and some King chilly which makes the dish super spicy but delicious. This dish is also served with rice.

Momo

One of the most popular and widely eaten food of the Northeast, stuffed dumplings are known as momos are everywhere in the Northeast. The momos are usually stuffed with various vegetables like cabbage, carrot in their vegetarian version and chicken, mutton is used in their non-vegetarian variants. The fish momos are delicious and to get the authentic momo taste, this mouthwatering dish is a must-try.

Meat

Meat is the main dish of Arunachal Pradesh. Since the people of Arunachal Pradesh prefer boiled food instead of fried, the meat is also mostly boiled and smoked. The meat prepared is eaten with rice.

Apong

It is a traditional drink of Arunachal Pradesh. This rice beer is a significant part of Arunachal’s cuisine. Since it is made from rice, it is free from chemicals and is a very local and light beer. Apong is made by drying, smoking, fermenting and filtering the rice concoction.

Marua

Like the Apong, Marua is also home-made alcoholic drink famous in Arunachal Pradesh. The major difference is in the main ingredient of the drink, which is millet in case of Marua and rice in Apong. A common drink enjoyed by the people of Arunachal Pradesh.

Pasa

Pasa is a soup that is made with fresh and raw Fish. Also, khumpatt leaves, ginger, garlic, makat, green chilli and minced meat paste in the soup makes it a super delicious soup to relish especially during the winters.

Thukpa

Thukpa is a noodle soup that is made with boiled rice noodles, chicken or vegetables. It is a traditional dish of ‘Monpa’ tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.