TRADITIONAL FOOD OF ASSAM & GLOBALISATION

Abstract

Traditional food in Assam is a living cultural system shaped by ecology, agriculture, fisheries, seasonality and community knowledge. Rice-based foods, fish, vegetables, leafy plants, fermented and dried foods, pitha and banana-based preparations form important elements of the culinary landscape. Assam-specific studies document traditional rice preparations, wild leafy vegetables, banana-based foods and community food practices (Bora, 2020; Das et al., 2020; Sarma et al., 2020; Boro & Bhattacharjee, 2020). Globalisation, urbanisation, migration, commercial food outlets, packaged foods and digital communication are changing the settings in which these foods are produced and consumed. This article examines these changes using evidence available by 30 November 2021. It combines official Assam agricultural and fisheries statistics, NFHS-5 nutrition indicators and published scholarship on food culture and globalisation. The Statistical Handbook, Assam–2021 reports 5,213,852 tonnes of rice, 5,486,598 tonnes of total foodgrains, 1,096,170 tonnes of banana and 392,652.49 tonnes of fish production in 2020–21 (DES Assam, 2021). NFHS-5 reports that 8.0% of children aged 6–23 months received an adequate diet, while 35.3% of children under five were stunted and 21.7% were wasted (IIPS & ICF, 2021). The article advocates a preserve, adapt and promote approach for cultural continuity.