The food of the Apatanis includes rice, fish and pork. Rice is often accompanied with boiled vegetables, meat preparation or other delicacies cooked in bamboo shoots. They don’t use spices in traditional food, hence the green or paste of red chilli, which presented in every single meal.
The bamboo shoot is eaten and very delicious food is prepared in from of PIKE/PILLA/BOILED shoots and also dried in from of HIKHU/HIYI. Fresh bamboo shoot of Phyllotachys bambusoides (BIJE) are collected during April to June from the individual bamboo gardens. Its quantification is difficult since only those shoots that are grown outside the boundary or on the main path of the plantation were cut. Late June to July, the bamboo shoots which are going to die or decay (Yat tanii) are also collected for eating as vegetable before drying and is not becoming culm.
The Apatanis also cultivate within their fields a unique type of salt called tapyo. Traditionally Tapyo is made at home using ashes of certain indigenous plants, which to a large extent is also responsible for saving Apatanis from problem of goitre. Traditional rice beer is enjoyed by hardworking Apatanis.
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