Meat (pork / wild boar meat!) cooked in a bamboo in Arunachal Pradesh. They cut out the choicest pieces of cooking and place them within a hollow bamboo, sealing off the bamboo from the other end. The hollowed-out bamboo sticks are then placed next to the fire, for slow cooking, with an earthy flavour and fragrance being introduced and retained in the meat.
Bamboo is a most versatile resource, and is greatly valued among the Apatani people. Almost every family has their own nursery of bamboo plants, where they grow a unique species that was imported from central Asia centuries ago. Bamboo is used not only for building, but also for cooking, eating and basket making. By growing their own bamboo in private reserves, the Apatani are able to quickly harvest bamboo when required for construction, or in the rare event that a fire guts a portion of their village. This practice was designed so as not to destroy their local forests. It seems the Apatani may have an important message in sustainable agriculture and environment-friendly practices for the rest of the world. Either way, the Apatani have made rice and bamboo an essential part of their lives, in consumption and trade.
Arunachalis clearly haven't adapted to the modern grocery store! A group of Apatani hunters set out into the thick forests above Pasighat, in search of a variety of possible quarries. Armed with machetes and muzzle-loading guns, the men have shot a macaque. Any Arunachali male will tell you that hunting and cooking over an open fire is one of their favorite pastimes. They proceed to cook within the forest over an impromptu campfire. The meat is cooked using hollow bamboos and plantain leaves. Of course, the remaining skull and bones make for a grisly sight!
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