The Northeast Story

Eat your way across the eight

1. ASMasor tenga Light, sour fish curry, often soured with tomato or elephant apple.
2. NLSmoked pork with axone Fermented soybean gives it a deep, funky flavour.
3. MNEromba Mashed vegetables with fermented fish and plenty of chilli.
4. MLJadoh Khasi rice cooked with pork, a breakfast staple in Shillong.
5. SKThukpa and momos Noodle soup and dumplings for a cold Gangtok evening.
6. MNChak-hao kheer Pudding made with Manipur's GI-tagged black rice.

The handloom wardrobe

• ASMekhela chadorThe two-piece Assamese drape, at its finest in muga or pat silk.
• MLJainsemThe Khasi women's dress, worn draped from the shoulders.
• MZPuanMizo wrap skirt. The Puanchei, with its bright stripes, is worn at weddings and festivals.
• MNMoirang pheeGI-tagged Manipuri fabric with a temple-like border motif.
• TRRignai and risaThe Tripuri wrap and the woven top-cloth that goes with it.
• NLNaga shawlsEach tribe has its own colours and motifs, often tied to status.

Sounds to start with

• ASBihu geetSpring songs led by the dhol, pepa (buffalo-horn pipe) and gogona.
• NLNaga folk harmonyLayered group singing, much of it tied to work and the fields.
• MLDuitaraThe Khasi stringed instrument, heard in folk music and new indie songs alike.
• MNPenaA single-string Meitei fiddle used in ballads and ritual music.
• ARZiro Festival of MusicIndie and folk acts on an outdoor stage in the Apatani valley each September.

Five places for your next trip

• ARTawangA 17th-century monastery high in the mountains. Reach it over Sela Pass.
• NLDzükou ValleyRolling green valley on the Nagaland–Manipur border, known for its summer lilies.
• MLMawlynnongA Khasi village famous for being spotless, with a living root bridge nearby.
• ASKazirangaElephant grass, wetlands and the one-horned rhino. Usually open November to April.
• SKGurudongmar LakeOne of the highest lakes in India, in north Sikkim. Permits needed.