Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

About three weeks into my current stay in Guwahati, I discovered an absolute gem on GS Road, just two bus stops away from where I'm staying in Paltan Bazar. It's a little patisserie in Lachit Nagar (opposite the KFC) called "Patisserie Operaa". It's named for the famous 'opera cake'. I can only assume the double 'a' in Opera is to prevent any confusion as the pronunciation of the last vowel (since a single 'a' is often used in transliterations of Assamese for the vowel /ɔ/, similar to the vowel in English 'hot', not /a/.)

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

I'd seen the patisserie each time I'd gone down GS Road, and I was immediately attracted by the interior decor. It's one of the few places here I'd actually feel comfortable sitting around in for hours.

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati
Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

Of course, I've been to places here with nice interiors, but simply awful food (which I tend to put up with anyway just so I have somewhere to sit and read or do work). But the pastry chef at Patisserie Operaa trained at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in London, and it really shows in the cakes and pastries. I'm still blown away each time I go and try their cake - part of me can't believe that I'm in Guwahati!

So far, I've avoided the cakes with white cream on them, only because they remind me of the ubiquitous cakes with 'cream' toppings you find in bakeries all over this part of the world. But judging from the other cakes that I've tried, there's no reason to be worried.

Here's the eponymous Opera cake. The sponge had been soaked in coffee, and was moist without becoming soggy.

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

The fudge in the chocolate cake was rich and smooth, and not too sweet.

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

And the tiramisu had the right balance of coffee and cream. My friend L. from Germany agreed it was very good, but reckoned it could've had a bit more sponge in it.

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

I don't have any good photos of the rum balls, but they are simply amazing! Chocolate-y, rich, smooth. My friend L. bought about 9 to take with her to give to friends.

Also, the place does wonderful pastries (and quiche!) as well. I've only tried a few of them with my friend L., who left on the train the other day. When she was in town, we were at Patisserie Opera every day...

Patisserie Operaa, Guwahati

I'm really glad I waited 3 weeks before entering the patisserie, because I'd have put on a lot more weight during my first month in Guwahati! This is where I'm going to when I feel homesick (and not KFC across the street). Ironically, I don't think I'll be able to get cake as good as this when I move to Canberra next year.

Patisserie Operaa is located on GS Road, opposite the KFC in Lachit Nagar. The patisserie is open 7 days a week from 10.30am to 10.30pm.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Picnic in the rain

Last week I was invited to a family picnic at Khükiye Lukhai. I was looking forward to it. I didn't know whether it would be next to a stream, but I was told fish was on the menu. It turned out to be right next to my friend's uncle's akhabo 'fish pond' right next to their fields.

Khükiye Lukhai, Nagaland

View of Kilo (Old) from Khükiye Lukhai

The only downer was that after weeks of sunshine, it rained the entire day. The remnants of Cyclone Thane which hit Tamil Nadu had made their way up to the Northeast.

Khükiye Lukhai, Nagaland

Thankfully there was the field hut / house - a little resting shed next to the field where people can rest.
Khükiye Lukhai

And prepare food if necessary.
Picnic at Khükiye Lukhai

Given that there were more than 10 of us, they also set up a tarpaulin shelter next to the house.
Picnic at Khükiye Lukhai

And my friends and their cousins all ate from a big banana leaf.
Picnic at Khükiye Lukhai

As promised, there was fish caught that morning from the akhabo.
Freshly caught fish, Khükiye Lukhai

Which my friends wrapped in banana leaves and grilled with a little bit of organic lemon.
Freshly caught fish, Khükiye Lukhai

Not the best weather for a picnic, but the food and company definitely made up for it!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Cute animals

(I was originally going to title this post "Cute animals that don't always end up on people's menus", but thought it was a bit too long and a little unappealing.)

Chinese people are often said to eat anything. I'm sure many people in India probably have a similar impression of the Nagas (if they've even heard about them). The thing is, most animals in Nagaland are eaten, but there're always a few creatures that don't quite make it to the menu.

One animal that doesn't typically feature in people's cooking here is cat meat (akhosa shi), although there are certainly people who do eat cat. Hutton (1921) noted that cats were not eaten among the Semas due to a number of superstitions associated with them.

Cats by the fire, Vishepu

Dog meat (atsü shi) is much more commonly eaten in Nagaland, as in many parts of China and SE Asia. However, even here, not all people will willingly consume dog. I have many friends here who steer clear of dog meat. There's also a common belief here that dogs will know if you're a 'dog eater' and will not like you. (That's why I tell people I'm waiting for my dog in Singapore to pass on before I try dog meat.)
Puppy, Vishepu

Of course, chickens are eaten, but people wouldn't think to eat the cute little chicks. But I'm sure it's not because they're cute...
Mother Hen with chicks, Vishepu

Alright, you got me. This post was just an excuse to post pictures I took of cute animals over Christmas.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Organic Nagaland

I was actually going to promote my friend Abokali's new business, but I ended up promoting her brother's art exhibition in Kohima first.

In any case, Abokali recently started her own business called Organic Nagaland. As you can guess, they specialise in organic produce from Nagaland - given that artificial fertilisers and pesticides are practically non-existent in most parts of the state, it's not hard to find quality 'organic' produce here. However, it is difficult to transport and store the produce given the lack of infrastructure (such as good roads and constant electricity). Yet somehow she's managed to source local produce like oranges and kiwi fruit (which don't require refrigeration) and market it at recent agriculture expos in Bangalore, Delhi and now Guwahati. In the process, she's also rallied together local farmers, particularly women, and given them a source of income.

The main shop (I'm calling it her flagship store) is in Project Colony, Zunheboto. (Incidentally, her brother also designed the logo for her company.)
Organic Nagaland shop, Zunheboto

It really stands out when compared with other fruit and veg shops in Zunheboto, in that it actually looks nice and the produce isn't covered in dust.
Organic Nagaland shop, Zunheboto

Organic Nagaland shop, Zunheboto

Most of the products are already neatly packaged. The shelves are lined with local soya beans (ayikhu in Sumi).
Organic Nagaland shop, Zunheboto

And the prices are quite reasonable compared to other fruit and veg shops in town. The store also sells local spices, including angothi 'Chinese peppercorns' that are related to Sichuan peppercorns (they also give that 麻辣 málà effect) - don't forget that Nagaland is closer to Southern China than it is to the Ganges floodplain.
Angothi on sale at Organic Nagaland, Zunheboto

Organic Nagaland shop, Zunheboto

And the store also sells axone the fermented soya bean dish that the Sumis are famous for. During the Hornbill Festival, I met a person from America who asked me what 'axe-on' was. I had to explain that it was pronounced 'ah-cho-nie', where the 'ch' is like the 'ch' in German ach or Scottish loch. Given that the sound (a velar fricative) isn't found in any other major Naga language, most people know the dish as akhuni.

What the store sells is the dried version, which lasts quite a bit longer.
Axone on sale at Organic Nagaland, Zunheboto

All the best with the business Abokali! I'm definitely going to take some stuff with me when I go. Definitely some dried wild apple (soooo good) and a bit of dried axone to bring back to Singapore. I doubt Australian customs would let any of this stuff in.

(Also, if you want to contact her, she has a blog here. I'd put up her email address, but it'll just attract spam.)

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Dilai Gate Sunday Market out of Dimapur

I'm meant to be going down to Dimapur at some point today, if my ride from Zunheboto actually comes to pick me up from Kohima. (We're meant to be picking up some people in Dimapur before heading back to Zunheboto tomorrow.) Anyway, to mark my potential arrival in Dimapur on a Sunday, I thought I'd share some pictures that I took 2 weeks ago when I was in Dimapur. (It's pretty photo-heavy, so apologies to people with a slow internet connection.)

The friend I was staying with in Dimapur brought me to the Sunday market just outside Dilai Gate on the road to Diphu, which technically means it's in Assam, not Nagaland. There's a sign that says 'A K Market' but most of my friends (even the ones in Kohima) know it as the Dilai Gate Market.

Dilai Gate Sunday market

It's pretty much strewn next to the side of the road, which happens to be a national highway...
Dilai Gate Sunday market

At the market, you can find your usual vegetables.
Chillis and tomatoes, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Gourds.
Gourds, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Local varieties of ginger and garlic.
Ginger and garlic, Dilai Gate Sunday market

And little chillis - these are more like bird's eye chillis, they aren't bhut jolokia / Naga King chillis.
Chillis, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Lots of spices
Spices, Dilai Gate Sunday market

And other dried stuff. I noticed a lot of dried fish especially.
Dried fish and shrimp, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Dried fish, Dilai Gate Sunday market

People were frying up sweets and selling them, alongside different kinds of bhujia.
Fried and dried stuff, Dilai Gate Sunday market

They also had baskets for sale.
Baskets, Dilai Gate Sunday market

There was a somewhat carnival atmosphere, with one man selling balloons.
Dilai Gate Sunday market

And another one selling cotton candy. (Note the massive truck on the right - did I mention this was on a national highway?)
Dilai Gate Sunday market

Some ladies were making pithas (made from rice flour and coconut) as well. Maybe someone can tell me the name for this type of pitha.
Making pithas, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Then of course, there were the more exotic 'meats'. My friend reckons these are silk worms, but they look slightly different to the ones I ate when I was in Diphu.
Larvae, Dilai Gate Sunday market

There were beecombs, filled with tasty grubs (I imagine).
Beecombs, Dilai Gate Sunday market

And some jungle spiders - I have tried spider before, when I was in Zunheboto last year, but I don't know if they were the same variety as these. There were also grasshoppers, but I can't seem to find photos of those...
Dried insects, Dilai Gate Sunday market

The less exotic meats were much more popular. There was fresh fish from the many rivers and lakes of Assam.
Fish, Dilai Gate Sunday market

There were live chickens for sale.
Live chickens, Dilai Gate Sunday market

As well as dead ones.
Chickens, Dilai Gate Sunday market

Almost all the butchery was done on site. I saw a few goats having their throats slit.
Live goats, Dilai Gate Sunday market

We had goat curry for lunch that day.
Butchered goat, Dilai Gate Sunday market

The most popular meat was (surprise, surprise) pork. Here, unlike with the chickens and goats, there were mini-barricades set up to keep customers out of the pig butchering area. I was told that the reason for this was that previously, people would rush in and grab the choicest parts so the barricades were set up to keep pushy (we'd say kiasu in Singapore) customers out.
Buying pork, Dilai Gate Sunday market

So there you have it. A typical Sunday morning in Dimapur.

Except, well, without going to church...