A warming noodle soup with vegetables or meat, especially common in colder regions like Tawang. Monpa thukpa uses local herbs and yak meat, making it deeply comforting. ¹⁾

A traditional fermented bamboo shoot pickle, often prepared by the Apatani tribe. It’s made with pork fat and chili, and eaten with nearly every meal. ²⁾

Sun-dried meat slices (usually beef or mithun) served with fiery chili flakes or fermented soybean paste. Smoky, chewy, and an essential tribal snack or side. ³⁾

A paste of fermented soybeans with king chili (Bhut Jolokia) — pungent, spicy, and packed with umami. Eaten with rice or alongside boiled meats. ⁴⁾

Bamboo shoot, one of the most commonly used ingredients, is stir-fried or stewed with either pork, chicken, or vegetables. Slightly sour and aromatic. ⁵⁾

A dish made with Chhurpi (hard yak cheese), cooked with green leafy vegetables like spinach or mustard greens. A Monpa delicacy with chewy, salty chunks of cheese. ⁶⁾

A mixed vegetable curry from the Adi tribe, often cooked without oil and with wild forest herbs. It’s considered both healing and cleansing. ⁷⁾

Glutinous rice mixed with nuts and cooked in hollow bamboo tubes over fire. Eaten during tribal festivals or ceremonies — deliciously sticky and smoky. ⁸⁾

A traditional boiled fish dish cooked in hollow bamboo, often with minimal spices, tomato, and wild herbs — earthy, brothy, and pure. ⁹⁾

A preparation from nearby Nagaland that’s also popular in parts of Arunachal — features fermented soybean paste (akhuni) cooked with smoked pork. Strong aroma, bold taste. ¹⁰⁾

Hand-pulled noodles served in a hearty broth of meat, radish, and greens — a staple among the Tibetan Buddhist communities in West Arunachal. ¹¹⁾

A simple, light dish where lettuce is lightly blanched and tossed with sautéed ginger and garlic. Highlights the minimalist tribal approach to cooking. ¹²⁾

Mithun (Bos frontalis), a semi-domesticated bovine, is smoked over fire and sliced thin. Eaten with rice or pounded into dry chutneys — high-protein and ceremonial. ¹³⁾

A traditional fermented drink made from rice, often brewed at home. Varieties range from light golden to black (depending on fermentation), and it plays a vital role in all tribal rituals. ¹⁴⁾

A lesser-known sweet dish — deep-fried rice flour and banana fritters, slightly crispy outside and soft inside. Originally more common in the eastern belt, now gaining popularity across the region. ¹⁵⁾