Food Habits of Assamese Society

It is evident from early and medieval literatures that both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets were prevalent in Assamese society in the past and rice was the staple food as today. The extensive cultivation of paddy of different varieties met the day-to-day requirements of rice . Rice and milk were used for preparation of different varieties of cakes and sweets. Medieval literatures mention various types of cake and sweet dish .. These include laddu, paramanna, pat~pitha, dahi, kshira, akhai, cira, khiricha, rice-cakes,pheni-pitha  etc. Besides, curries of lentil and green gram pulses, vegetables like brassica, mallow, spinach etc. were also used for preparation of various curries which were included in the two principal meals of rice. The breakfast ofbora chaul and komal chaul, the two varieties of soft rice, was very popular in Assamese society. The non-vegetarian menu included mutton, pork, meat of duck, pigeon, tortoise, deer and varieties of locally available fish, But the most favourite curries of the Assamese have been the sour and alkaline preparations. It is still observed in some Assamese household that while taking meals, alkaline curry is taken first followed by other curries and lastly, sour curry or curd is taken. Chewing of betel vine and areca nut after taking meals is another favourite habit of the Assamese which was introduced by the Austriks Rice beer and other intoxicated liquors brewed from rice were favourite drinks of the tribes. The habit of drinking tea and coffee was developed in Assamese society only in the nineteenth century. Due to change in habit and taste of the people, some of the traditional dishes have now been replaced by Indian and foreign dishes. Still, rice is the principal food and all sections of the people are accustomed to taking it.