Each of the seven states has its own culinary identity, shaped by geography as much as culture. Assam's tenga curries lean sour, built on tomato or lemon. Nagaland's smoked meats and fermented bamboo shoot carry a completely different weight. Meghalaya's Jadoh rice, cooked in pork blood, is a Khasi staple rarely found outside the state.
The thread that runs through all of it: minimal spice, maximal freshness, and an emphasis on fermentation and smoking as preservation techniques born from mountain geography.