CHUNG VALLEY, India — Tucked away in the remote Chug Valley of Northeast India, Damu’s Heritage Dine is quietly leading a food revolution. Run by a group of Monpa women in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, this humble diner is bringing ancient mountain flavors back to life, one traditional dish at a time. On the menu are traditional Monpa recipes like millet momos and buckwheat thukpa, made from locally grown grains and wild forest ingredients. By sourcing ingredients from local farmers and the surrounding forests, the diner is encouraging a revival of sustainable farming practices and the preservation of forests. For generations, the Monpa community relied on resilient crops like millet, maize, and barley, as well as seasonal forest produce. The arrival of government food rations and urban migration led to a decline in traditional diets and farming. Now, these women are working to reverse that trend, inspiring farmers to grow climate-resilient grains once again, while preserving a culture rooted in the land. This video was produced by the Mongabay India team; find more environmental stories from India on their YouTube channel. Mongabay’s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you. Are there any inspiring people, urgent issues, or local stories that you’d like us to cover? We want to hear from you. Be a part of our reporting process—get in touch with us here! Banner image: Rinchin Jomba. Chef, Damu’s Kitchen. Image ©Surajit Sharma. Youth leaders revive Indigenous seafood harvesting heritageThis article was originally published on Mongabay
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