Millet momos spotlight culinary heritage of Arunachal’s Monpa community

When 41-year-old Rinchin Jomba’s recipe for momo won the Millet Recipe Contest organised by the agriculture centre Krishi Vigyan Kendra in 2023, her joy transcended the mere thrill of winning an award. She had spotlighted the culinary heritage of her community, the Monpa. The contest was part of the International Year of Millets 2023 celebrations, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Chug Valley, nestled in the West Kameng district.

Jomba created her momo recipe using kongpu (finger millet) for the wrap and stuffing it with boiled locally-sourced potatoes and onion greens. Her primary goal was to reintroduce the indigenous kongpu in a contemporary form that would appeal to the changed palate of the younger generation, who had never tasted it. Kongpu was once very popular in Monpa cuisine. In just a year, her millet momo has become a hit, among the local residents and tourists visiting Chug Valley in search of authentic Monpa cuisine.

The Monpas, an ethnic group, have lived in the Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh for a long time. In Tibetan/Bhoti literature, “Mon” generally refers to regions or...

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