Famous Traditional Food of Assam

A traditional Assamese meal absolutely must begin with Khar. It is an entirely unique dish made by filtering water through the dried, burnt ashes of the skin of a specific banana (Bheem Kol). This alkaline liquid is then cooked with raw papaya, pulses, or fish. It cleanses the stomach and prepares the palate for the rest of the heavy meal.

If Khar is the starter, Masor Tenga is the king of the main course. It is a highly popular, light, and tangy fish curry. The distinct sourness ('Tenga') is achieved by adding fresh tomatoes, Ou Tenga (Elephant Apple), or lemon. It is deeply comforting, extremely easy to digest, and usually eaten with hot steamed rice during the scorching summer months.

No Assamese festival (especially Bihu) is complete without Pitha. Pithas are traditional sweet or savory snacks made primarily from soaked and ground sticky rice flour. They are often stuffed with grated coconut, jaggery, or black sesame seeds, and then roasted or deep-fried.

Assamese cuisine makes heavy use of fermented foods to preserve them for the heavy monsoon season. Fermented bamboo shoots (Khorisa) have a very strong, pungent aroma and are frequently cooked with pork or small river fish to add a massive kick of flavor.