Indigenous entrepreneurs in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand are popularizing traditional tribal foods with urban restaurants, reports Mongabay India’s Kundan Pandey.
One such restaurant is Ajam Emba in Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi. The name means “delicious taste” in Kurukh, the language spoken by the Indigenous Oraon community. Founded by Aruna Tirkey, a member of the Oraon tribe, Ajam Emba serves dishes made from local leafy vegetables and flowers, including the kudrum flower or roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), beng (Centella asiatica), jirhul (Indigofera cassioides), mahua (Madhuca longifolia), and red rice, Pandey writes.
“The food we crave isn’t available anywhere else,” Gaurav Marandi, a frequent customer at the restaurant, told Mongabay India. His mother, Rut Kachhap, added: “It reminds us of home.”
Another Ranchi-based restaurant, Mandi Eddpa, serves Indigenous food alongside Korean fare, Pandey reports. “Young people come for Korean food, but those above 40 are more interested in local food,” Kapil Vinod Toppo, who runs Mandi Eddpa, told Mongabay India.
Toppo said it was while working for a private company in South Korea that he saw how connected people were with their country’s food culture. “Ramen bowls are popular there, and I realized they are quite similar to maad-bhaat from my region,” he said.
A third restaurant, The Open Field run by Manisha Oraon, serves Indigenous dishes like jirhul phool chokha (mashed potatoes blended with jirhul flowers), a fermented rice drink, and mahua kheer (a sweet dish made from mahua flowers). Oraon’s team has also been documenting Jharkhand’s tribal cuisines and how they’re prepared, Pandey reports.
Both Oraon and Tirkey said sourcing ingredients from local farmers and markets is integral to their work. “The goal is not just to promote local food but also to establish a value chain,” Oraon said.
Tirkey travels to remote villages to expand her network and menu. “Today, we offer 50 seasonal items, including 20 types of green leafy vegetables and 10 varieties of flowers, including mahua,” she said.
According to Soumik Banerjee, an independent researcher who has studied tribal food and health in Jharkhand for 19 years, these restaurants are helping revive Indigenous cuisine.
“People in cities were unaware of these foods, and even rural communities were beginning to forget these healthy and environmentally friendly options. These restaurants are helping bring them back,” he said.
Tirkey added that these restaurants are helping bring a sense of pride around traditional foods. “Earlier, the misconception was that the food habits in my culture were related to a crisis or poverty,” she said. “But now, it is changing, and many families are taking pride in their traditional diets and cooking them at home, too.”
Jharkhand is home to 32 recognized tribes.
This is a summary of “Tribal entrepreneurs bring indigenous cuisine to the urban mainstream” by Kundan Pandey for Mongabay India.
Banner image: A painting at the Azam Emba restaurant in Ranchi depicting tribal life. Image by Kundan Pandey for Mongabay India.
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