For the very first time, the traditions of Naga cuisine are going to be showcased at an International food festival! And displaying the rich Naga culture and ethnic heritage through food is Chef Joel Basumatri, who will be representing Nagaland at the world famous slow food festival Terra Madre Salone del Gusto to be held in Turin, Italy.
This initiative is an outcome of the North East Slow Food & Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS), NEBUZZ and Chef Joel, who are making collaborative efforts towards Slow Food Movement in Nagaland and the North East.
In an exclusive interaction with The Morung Express, Chef Joel revealed that he has chosen to cook popular dishes like Awoshi Kipiki Ngo Axone (smoked pork cooked in a sauce of fermented soy-buds), Rosep (a blend of local vegetables cooked in the juice of bamboo shoots), and served with different chutneys. He will prepare these dishes on the 23rd, the second day of the food festival, at a taste workshop planned for 30 people. On the 24th, he is collaborating with Chef Sean Sherman, well-known for revitalizing indigenous food systems in a modern culinary context. Together, they will open a popup restaurant and cook for one hundred people. Here, Chef Joel will prepare dishes which take simple and local ingredients and elevate it to fine dining standards. He has chosen 'Amu-su', a glutinous rice dish with meat and a Khasi dish 'Dohneiiong', a mixture of pork and sesame seeds, and his own innovative sticky rice and rosella icecream.