In today's episode we are taking you around the village of Khonoma, Asia’s first green village, which is best known for eco-tourism and its historical battles with the British in the past. This popular tourist destination boasts of strong community ties, rich history, profound tales of valour, and the unusual conservation efforts by the villagers. This small hamlet is blessed with abundant natural beauty. Most of the people who live in Khonoma are from the Angami Naga Tribe of Nagaland.
On reaching there we received a warm welcome by our local host Vivoselie Neyase and his family. Lunch preparation was underway in the traditional manner. While the country chicken curry was simmering over a wood fire, the gracious lady overlooking the meal preparation conjured up a quick veg stir fry over the gas burner. Next she strained some local rice beer called khe straight from the huge caudron where it was fermenting and served us with some boiled local beans and Naga chilli based snacks called kherhii mix. Its sharp and hot flavour complemented the slightly sweet, tangy and refreshing flavor of the khe.
Next she roasted some tree tomatoes and Naga chillies in the fire and pounded them together to make a local favourite condiment called Tathu. With this last dish in place, the humble meal was laid out on the table. It consisted of rice, dal, a runny no spices country chicken curry, veg stir fry and tathu. We loved the mild taste of stew like country chicken curry, the robust taste of the veg stir fry. Overall it was a gratifying culinary experience that captured the essence of the local Naga cuisine except that the fiery heat of the tree tomato chutney made with the once renowned as the world's spiciest pepper, the Naga chilli left Anubhav in tears. Managing this intense heat of the chutney proved to be quite a challenge for him.
After the meal we embarked on a village tour with our gracious host. Khonoma, perched atop a hill, revealed delightful surprises around every corner. Our guide led us through some significant landmarks, such as the forts, church, moirang or dormitories, traditional houses, majestic wooden gates, and the circular village gathering spots, each narrating a tale of its eventful past and the local way of life. Our host, an exceptional guide, and the warm, welcoming residents made this experience even more memorable.
About the host:
anubhavsapra.com/
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Design and filmed by Rahul Singh
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Text by Swetaleena Nayak