Food tourism: A reason for tourism boost in Nagaland

Will travel for food – a sentence so simple and wholesome, it’s almost inspirational. In fact, when we travel or go anywhere, even if it’s just for a day, the mere thought of a good meal at the end of the day keeps us going. When we look up a destination online, we always find ourselves searching for what and where to eat. We look up regional cuisine, we make itineraries depending on the availability of the nearest source of meal. Wouldn’t want to roam around hungry. You see how travel and food are linked together?

Food tourism is there because people wanted to try and move away from their comfort food, from their usual, and try the unknown and sometimes weird. Just because it is fun to do so. Always good to keep in mind, one person’s weird is always another person’s normal. The breed of travellers who are willing to travel for food, are the reason why nowadays places like Nagaland finds itself high on the travel wish list.

Don’t yuck my yum

It’s no secret that for a very long time the common knowledge about Naga cuisine was that there’s an involvement of something outlandish. Be it foraged greens you had not seen before or the many kinds of edible insects and amphibians. Sometimes the food smells differently than what you are used to so you may rethink trying, but then, don’t yuck my yum. This fear of the unknown, the hesitance stemming from not understanding one’s culture and tradition had kept most travellers away from the lovely and charming Nagaland.



With time came changes in people’s perspective. First it began from students who moved to bigger cities for education, entrepreneurs trying to create a home-away-from-home in the form of food joints serving traditional cuisine. Curiosity brought many to these little cafes and restaurants and slowly people started trying out different types of Naga food. It didn’t take long for the Naga dish of pork and bamboo shoot to be their new favourite, the fermented soybean – axoni – didn't taste that bad either. The rice wine was definitely a star and that fermented fish chutney became a must-have side dish. Even the raja mircha or the bhut jolokia didn’t seem to faze people.


The Change


But where’s the fun in eating Naga food in Delhi? Why not go to the source and see what this delicious fuss is all about? Then came the web searches ‘festivals in Nagaland’, ‘best time to visit Nagaland’, ‘what will happen if I eat too much of bhut jolokia?’ From solo travel to travelling with a group of friends, in the last 20 years, Nagaland saw a rise in the number of visitors from all over the country. Major attraction being the annual 10-day Hornbill Festival (December 1-10). When you attend a cultural event like Hornbill Festival, you come face to face with so many communities, all having different food cultures. And then you try them. Next step is to plan your next visit to a specific district, to explore their culture, land and food. In all this, food becomes that comfortable companion, assuring the traveller that no matter where they go, they will be comfortable with the food. It doesn’t take too long for multiple visits to happen. From exploring culture, it moves to adventure, exploring the offbeat, spending time with the village communities.



Nowadays places like Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, and Mon are in the travel wish list. Some for shopping, some for adventure and nature-based activities, and some for the history (check out the erstwhile head-hunting village in Mon). And it all started with food.

1. When is the best time to visit Nagaland?
   Summer, March and April, and winter October to February, are the best times to visit Nagaland.
2. What are the most popular tourist destinations in Nagaland.
   Dzukou Valley, Mon, Khonoma, Dzuleke, Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung are some of the best tourist destinations in Nagaland.
3. When is the Hornbill Festival?
   Hornbill Festival is celebrated every year from December 1 to 10, Kisama Heritage Village.