Food culture of North Eastern India Part-2

Chinese chives or Chinese Leek Oriental Garlic Flat Chive Allium

Also known as sweet leek, it appears somewhat similar to grass. The leaves are flat, narrow and long. A tubular narrow stem arises from the center which produces small white flowers towards the end of May- July. It is used as a condiment in many different parts of the world such as in China, Japan and parts of North East India. I know it grows in north eastern states of India with the local name of Maroi Nakuppi. It needs warm, moist and well drained soil and is abundantly available during summer.

Culinary Uses

Almost all the parts of the plants can be used for culinary purposes. The leaves are often used in place of onions, especially while cooking by stir frying or sauteing methods. Chopped leaves are also used for garnishing dishes like sautéed dry peas, stir fried potato etc. The leaves are also used as a vegetable in the preparation of special dish in north eastern states of India. A dish can also be prepared from the flowers of the chive plant by stir frying them.

Health Benefits

Chinese chives are rich in elements like calcium, phosphorus and iron and vitamins like Vitamin K, vitamin C and vitamin B complex. It is used for treatment of various ailments in different parts of the world. In Manipur, apart from using as a remedy for insomnia, it is also used for improving the growth of the hair. Juice extracted from the leaves is mixed with the juice of sweet flag plant (Acorus calamus) and applied on the head to stimulate the hair growth.

Khasi papeda the Citruslatipes swingle

In a particular state of Manipur of India it is known as Heriberto. This plant belongs to the citrus family. The ripe fruit is yellow in color and has a thick rind with fleshy white tissue. The fruit has a strong aroma. It is grown during the summer season.

Culinary use

The rind containing the fleshy white tissue is used as a spice. It has a strong aroma and is often used in cooking non vegetarian dishes, lentils and pulses. But because of its acrid flavour, it is never chewed. This spice is known to be beneficial for curing ailments like asthma, stone cases and Dyspepsia.

Though the fruit is not palatable due to the acridity, it is often used for cleaning things made from bronze or copper. It is also used in beautification as stained hands and nails can be cleaned easily by rubbing the fruit of the papeda.

Lizard tail the Houttuynia cordata

It is also known by various other names such as chameleon plant, heart-leaf and bishop’s weed. It is a small perennial plant which grows up to a height of about 100 cm. It grows well in moist, shady places. Its leaf is heart shaped and may be green with shades of yellow or red on it. It is an invasive plant and tends to spread around.

Culinary use:

In many southeast countries the leaves of the plant are used for garnishing. In Manipur, apart from the leaves, chopped roots are also used for garnishing certain dishes especially the chutneys. In some countries like Vietnam, the roots are cooked as a vegetable.

Medicinal Use

Since ancient times, the Chinese have been using heart-leaf to treat symptoms related with abnormal lungs while the Japanese traditionally use it for making tea for curing chronic earaches. It is also extensively used for detoxification of the body. It is also known to effectively deal with obesity problem.

PS The names have been taken from different sources as I have no full idea of local languages of North Eastern part of India.

Image source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium