Limbu Folk Culture related to
Food Habits
(With special reference to Limbu Folklore)
Amar Tumyahang [Ambar
Jang Limbu]
Lecturer, English
Department,
Sanothimi Education
Campus
Tribhuvan University
Limbu is an ethnic
community in sense 'a nation' which belongs to their motherland Yakthung Laje
'Limbuwan'. In modern history, it is politically divided into Nepal and India
vividly. The Limbus have been owned their own world-view philosophy, political
system, economic system, socio-cultural Morales and traits, customs, rites and
rituals. Indeed, Limbus had been observing various folk practices and cultural
traits for immemorial time spans. Among those various Limbu folk practices,
this paper deals about the 'Limbu
Folk Culture related to Food Habits with special reference to Limbu Folklore'.
Herein, it is dealt that Limbu folklore, influence on Limbu folk foods, Limbus'
ever first and prime folk foods, Limbu food patterns, Limbu cultural folk food
items, and divisions of Limbu folk foods in accordance its function and
characteristics. It also reveals the special message of Limbu folk foods
following real life practices, sets glimpses on impact of global climate change
and possibility of Limbu folk food security, in brief. Here, this paper is
tried to present from a bit the view point of folklore. Some referential dada
and situations are presented as incline to Nepal because of situational
convention.
Geographic
Overview of Limbuwan
In Mundhum, it recites
that Yakthung laje is surrounded by Saya Muden [Chine-Tibet] to the north,
Temen Walang [mundhumi name of Bharat Barsa] to the south, Sumroti Umroti [Brahmputra]
to the east and thosu Warumna Parumna [from Arun and Barun] onu yosu Paramawa
Kakamawa [to Koshi] to the west.
The geography of
Limbuwan, the early days area which was extended from western border of Arun
River to the eastern border of Brahmaputra river, and greater Himalayas in the
north to the Plain areas of the northern India; are now mainly confined nine
districts of Eastern Nepal, namely Terhathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Sunsari
and Morang (Koshi Zone), Taplejung, Panthar, Ilam and Jhapa (Mechi Zone),
Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal, all the four districts of
Sikkim, all other seven North Eastern states of India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Hong
Kong, Brunei and UK (Kainla 2011, Subba 2005, Sanggraula 2067, Bista 2000/1967).
In present days, the geography Limbuwan is politically divided into two
countries viz, Nepal and India.
The Limbus
There are 126
caste/ethnic groups reported in the census 2011 in Nepal, which comprise more
than 59 indigenous ethnic communities, of which the Limbus is one. And also the
Limbus is known as one of the principal tribes of Mongoloid Kirat origin in
Nepal. The etymological study shows that the term 'Limbu' was derived from
Limbu word 'Li pang' or 'Li-bang' that combines two morphemes -liù which means 'bow' and p«N which is equivalent to 'to carry'
[in Limbu /p/
changes into /b/
after the vowel sounds]. In course of time, 'Li-pang' or 'Li-bang', that is
'bow-carrier', has altered into 'Limbu'. The Limbus calls themselves as 'Yakthumbas',
a Limbu term that combines again two morphemes -j«k
which means 'fort' and TUmbA
which means 'brave' (Edingo, 2001). So, the Limbus, in their own term, is known
'Yakthumbas' (brave-warriors). Generally, it is believed that 'Limbu' term is
prescribed by other tribes especially by Gorkhali representative, in the
unification period of Nepal.
As Sims and Stephens, many people understood folklore as "(it) is
a way of understanding people and the wide-ranging creative ways we express who
we are and what we value and believe" (2005: xi). We, knowingly or
unknowingly, participating in varieties of ways to express our beliefs, values
and traditions looking at works of arts, listening to jokes and stories and
tasting varieties foods in our respective societies. So, folklore comprises
'folk' [people from a particular country or region, or who have a particular
way of life] and 'lore' [knowledge and information related to a particular
subject, especially when this is not written down; stories and traditions of a
particular group of people (Hornby, 2005: 911)] folklore is more than our
historical behaviors; it is to say "alive, developing and changing in our
lifetime." In this line Barre Toelken says about folklore (cited by Sims
and Stephens): "the process of folklore is a combination of both changing
("dynamic") and static ("conservative") elements that
connect with a group's past and present in ways evolve and change through
sharing, communication and performance."
Concerning to Limbu
folklore, Subba says "Limbus are rich in their distinctive folklore and
because of their distinctive folklore they have their own identity among ethnic
and racial diverse groups of peoples in Nepal" (1995: 48). Subba defines,
"Limboo Folklore is understood as all kinds of oral on oral artistic
expression including common transmitted tradition, myths, festivals, customs,
songs, dances and stories etc." Subba defines it as "The various
factors that played " and he further adds, "The various factors that
played crucial roles to preserve their folklore include the right of leading
life in their own ways and following own customs, traditions and religious
practices guaranteed to some extent by their suzerains from time to time…"
(1999: 203).
About the contents of the folklore, provided by Alan
Dundes as cited by Sims and Stephens (2005: 9) is interesting, let's see
it:
Folklore includes myths,
legends, folktales, jokes, proverbs, riddles, chants, charms, blessings,
curses, oaths, insults, retorts, taunts [mock], teases, toasts [salute],
tongue-twisters, and greeting and leave-taking formulas (e.g., See you later,
alligator). It also includes folk costume, folk dance, folk drama (and mime),
folk art, folk belief (or superstition), folk medicine, folk instrumental music
(e.g., fiddle tunes), folksongs (e.g., lullabies, ballads), folk speech (e.g.,
slang), folk similes (e.g., blind as a bat), folk metaphors (e.g., to paint the
town red), and names (e.g., nicknames and place names). Folk poetry ranges from
oral epics to autograph-book verse, epitaphs [inscriptions], latrinalia
(writings on the walls of public bathrooms), limericks, ball-bouncing rhymes,
jump-rope rhymes, finger and toe rhymes, dandling rhymes (to bounce children on
the knee), countingout rhymes (to determine who will be “it” in games), and
nursery rhymes. The list of folklore forms also contains games; gestures;
symbols; prayers (e.g., graces); practical jokes; folk etymologies; food
recipes; quilt and embroidery designs; house, barn, and fence types; street vendor’s
cries; and even the traditional conventional sounds used to summon animals or give
them commands. There are such minor forms as mnemonic [reminder] devices (e.g,
the name “Roy G. Biv” to remember the colors of the spectrum in order),
envelope sealers (e.g., “SWAK”—Sealed With A Kiss), and the traditional
comments made after body emissions (e.g., after burps or sneezes). There are
such major forms as festivals and special day (or holiday) customs (e.g.,
Christmas, Halloween, and birthday). Following to Dundes, such type of many
more areas found in Limbu society, too, as Limbu folklore contents.
From the angle
of genres, folklore can be catagorized into three groups i.e. (i) Verbal folklore,
(ii) Materail folklore and (iii) Customary
lore. Various verbal expression skills and arts in Limbu society i.e.
folksongs like, palam, hakparya, khyali, hamlakwa, nuwa:pma; myths related to
mundhus, folktales, proverbs, riddles, khepa:n, jokes etc. come under verbal folklore.
Tangible type of all materials which can be touched, seen, eaten or lived in,
i.e. architecture, house, foods, clothes, ornaments, etc. are the material
folklore of limbu society. The certain rituals which Limbu society follows are
known as customary lore i.e. sappokchomen [worship of the womb carried out for
the maintenance of good health of the pregnant woman and for her safe
delivery], yangdang phongma [naming ceremony], phaje chokma [death rites] etc.
Influences on Limbu Folk Foods
The influencing factors on
foods, basically, are geography, history, culture, religion, environmental
factors etc. Limbu foods are not out of these implications. Especially, Limbus had
been dwelled in hilly region, then Himalaya and plain region in some extent.
So, their food sources are mainly based in hill climatic cereals or grains,
vegetable, fruits etc.
Referring to history, Conquests
and Empires like the Achaemenid Empire (Persians; 612 BCE - 331 BCE), Minoans (Mediterranean
peoples' civilization; ? - 1625 BCE), Myceneans (Greek Peloponnesus, Crete,
Sicily, Troy; 1500 BCE - 1100 BCE), Roman Empire (Rome, Tunisia, Levant,
Europe, England; ? - 284), Mongol Empire (Middle East, Central Asia, China,
Eastern Europe; 1206 CE - 1405 CE) from the east, and Mayan Empire (Yucatan to
Guatemala; 350 BCE - 1200 CE), Incas (Peru and bordering regions; 1300 CE -
1533 CE), Aztecs (Mexico to Guatemala; 1345 CE - 1519 CE) from the west, helped
to transform, introduce and establish their native foods in the respective
places.
The conquerors and rullers
i.e. Chinese dynasties (Shang, Chou, Ch'in, Han, Sung, Ming and Ch'ing;
1800BCE-1280CE), the Macedonian military leader Alexander the Great (331 BCE), Eastern
Roman Emperor Diocletian (295 CE), Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan (1162-1227 CE),
Mughal Emperor Barbur etc. also played historical role to develop, transfer,
introduce, establish the foods in
invaded states which they ate.
In the case of Limbu foods,
after conquest of Prithivi Nayan Shah to Limbuwan, played a defensive role to
shape the food habits of Limbu people. One sever example was that Limbu people
were banned to offer karangpit [the heifer] to their god Pochchama, and then
beef was omitted from their meat varieties. When the Limbu people got contact
with English people, this relation also brought changes in their foods, food
habits and dietary system.
Citing to McWilliams,
we can say and also appreciate these statements, "You eat what you
are" and "You are what you eat" (2005: 23). The first statement
reminds us the appreciation of some of the cultural factors that shape our food
choices and preferences. The second statement suggests us the pragmatic way of
physical outcome to lifetime of eating concerning to nutrition. Customary
beliefs, social form, and material traits of Limbus are the characteristics of
Limbu culture. Place where they got birth, housing, language, lifestyle, the
arts, literatures, architecture, immigration, etc are the areal dimensions of
Limbu culture which shaped the Limbu foods, Limbu food habits and dietary
systems.
Another
important influencing factor on food is the religion followed by the respective
groups of people in the world. When we observe the world's food traits, it is
found that the food practices and recipes are directly influenced by Hinduism,
Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, Shintoism,
Judaism, Christianity, Islam (Muslim). Same way, there is gentle influence of
Kirat (Yuma) religion on Limbu foods, and food practices.
Limbus' ever First and Prime Folk Foods
What
was the ever first food of human being? Then what was the ever first food of
Limbus? It is an interesting query to us. Anyway, evidence of shellfish (sea creatures that live in shells and are
eaten as food, or one of these creatures: Lobsters, crabs, prawns and oysters)
being used as human food as far back as 127,000 years ago has been found in
southern Africa. Some early cave paintings indicate that hunting was another
way of acquiring food (McWilliams, 2005: 6). Another finding is that around
12,000 BCE, people in Upper Egypt and Nubia were using grind-stones to make flour
from wild grass. Wild emmer (wheat)
was harvested by 10,000 BCE in Palestine, einkorn
(a type of wheat) was eaten in Syria by 9000 BCE, goats and pigs were
domesticated before 7000 BCE as source of meat from Anatolia, southern Turkey
to Pakistan and around same time, it was begun to use fermented beverage in
China. Such food time line continued that around 5000 BCE, wet rice farming was
carried on in eastern China; maize was being cultivated in Mexico, and Millet
began to be cultivated in Korea about by 3000 BCE. Potatoes traded from South
America to Europe, Africa, and India. This way developed human foods and
transformed from one place to next.
But what is about the Limbu foods? There is no any time line found, but
we can search in Mundhum reciting words and myths by Limbus, which do help us to
estimate about Limbu food and its tentative time line. In Limbu Mundhum—holy
Kirat-Limbu scripture based on oral tradition—describes the sangghamma
lingghamma and takmaru, types of daddy grown in dry field. It is known that wet
rice farming began around 5000 BCE in China, but the sangghamma lingghamma and
takmaru like paddies farming and grown time goes far back 5000 BCE. Phedangma,
Samba, Yeba/Yema etc. use holy unbroken rice, tumdumseri—got from sangghamma
lingghamma and takmaru, to worship Gods and Goddesses. The word 'tumdumseri'
comprises tum-tum-seri, which meant the food stuff that is 'earliest-earlier-powerful
as lightning which could save from each and every evil and demonic powers and
diseases.' And, it is also a rite that Limbu priests annually offer rice and
beer made from just ripened sangghamma rice and parama [one type millet farming
in new piece of land cleared by lighting fire] in phungsok to their spiritual
Kuru [Guru].
Another amazing fact about the rice is that Limbu priests like
Phedangma, always refers Ha:kwa—porridge
like liquidly food made from rice, for sick persons. From various researches,
it is found that the health benefits of rice include its
ability to provide fast and instant energy, regulate and improve bowel
movements, stabilize blood sugar levels, and slow down the aging process, while
also providing an essential source of vitamin B1 to the human body. Its other
benefits include its ability to boost skin health, increase the metabolism, aid
in digestion, reduce high blood pressure, help weight loss efforts, improve the
immune system and provide protection against dysentery, cancer, and heart
disease.
Rice is an integral part of many cultures folklore.
There are many myths of rice. In Myanmar, the Kachins were sent forth from the
center of the Earth with rice seeds and were directed to a country where life
would be perfect and rice would grow well. In China, rice is the gift of
animals. Legend says after a disastrous flooding all plants had been destroyed
and no food was available. One day a dog ran through the fields to the people
with rice seeds hanging from its tail. The people planted the seeds, rice grew
and hunger disappeared. According to
Limbu myth, paddy seed was brought by sparrow bird [named in Limbu as 'makchere
pu'] and provided to Limbus. For the sake of bird's contribution, Limbus
promised not to be chased when rice ripened and the new generations of bird
consumed it. So, to protect the rice from birds, Limbus formed a circle holding
their hands to hands to each other around the pile of rice, and in a time being
it developed as yalang and bird chasing word ha… ha… ha… as palam song. Such of
all these stories and many others have
rice as their foundation and for generations people have believed these lores
of Rice.
Sagi—stinging nettle—the first plant according to mundhum, believed as
first plant and vegetable in Limbu foods. Each and every worshiping process of
any God and Goddess, Tetla Lajam [leaves] of banana had been used to set the
altar and laik /la:ik/ [hyssop used to sprinkle holy water during worship] to
offer the Wadumbakwa [holy water]. So, banana might be the first and foremost Limbu
fruit. Mushrooms, eggs, etc were the other foods of Limbus which were the foods
originated in the Eastern Hemisphere.
About Limbu drinks and beverage, Subba mentioned
that "the Limboos/Kiratas might have learned the technique of wine making
while they were in Persia around 3,000 BC." (1999: 159). In the Human
creation Mundhum, Yambhami Porokmi Mang—creator God sprayed THI to his idol of
human, and only then that human idol became real human being. According
to Allen and Albala, the oldest known recipe for beer, written in a Sumerian
hymen around 2800 B. C. (2007: 47). It is also found that ancient Chinese people began to ferment beverage
around 7000 BCE and Limbus also learnt the skill to ferment foods as bear
around that time.
Limbu Folk Food Patterns
Limbus generally take two principle meals a day, and two light meals as
breakfast and Tiffin. Breakfast: In
the morning around 7-8 A.M., before starting for work, they take breakfast of
fried rice cooked in the previous evening or maize popcorn or M:anda [coarse
soup of millet flour], Ha:kwa [rice porridge] or bread.
Launch: Around 10 o'clock, Limbu people take heavy meal as launch before
participating in day works. The launch consist rice or maize meal with curry
and verities of pickles.
Snacks or Tiffin: Limbu folks take snacks
or Tiffin around 1 o'clock noon. It generally consist popcorn or bread or sweet
potatoes or sambok—a kind of dish made of rice boiled in soup and spice (Kainla,
2059: 477) and THI [bear].
Dinner: Same as in launch, Limbus people take dinner of meal with curry and
pickles.
Limbu
Cultural Folk Food Items
Bring to light the
attachment between folk and their foods, Anderson (2005: 124) citing to Chinese
social thinker Mengzi's words such as "I
love to eat fish, and I also love to eat bear’ paws, but if I can’t have both,
I will leave the fish and take the bears’ paws. I love life, and I love doing
right; but if I can’t have both, I will give up life to do what’s right..."
Here’s
a basket of grain and a plate of soup. Getting them means life, lacking those
means death. But if you offer them with a harsh insulting voice, even a
traveler won’t accept them, and if you step on them, even a starving beggar
won’t accept them. Here is a salary of ten thousand, but offered without
concern for the right. What is that ten thousand to me?"
This excerpt makes
known that the relation of folk people and their classical food is unveiling
unique in nature and unstipulated. The same prospect is applied in the case of
Limbu people and their traditional food stuffs. The Limbus mainly consumes
Nepali staple food i.e. dal
(lentils), bhat (usually rice but
sometimes another grains) and tarkari
(curry) (Edwards, 2008). They are also obsessing various indigenous foods for
generations. Such foods, consumed by Limbus, can be divided into stale [hard] starchy
[carbohydrate] food, curry, pickles and beverages, etc. These food varieties
are as below.
(a) Stale Starchy Food
Items: Papanda,
lungghakcha, sigolya and penagolya, kharen and manda are the food varieties which categorically listed under this
type of foods.
i.
Papanda [p«p«ndA]: It is a variety of mangdak khedhum (millet flour). Papanda is usually consumed as
snacks. It is pleasure to eat by munching.
It's ingredients are millet flour, water
and leaves of sahara (a type of grass with long and glossy leaves) or turmeric.
In its pre-cooking phase, we make dough of millet flour, shape it in size about
12 cm long, 8 cm breath and 2 cm with the help of palm. Wrap it with the leaves
of sahara or turmeric and bore in the fireplace, put into it there, cover it
with hot ash and fire coals, leave it for about 20 to 30 minutes. Scrape it's
any side and conform it is cooked properly or not. If it is cooked then you can
have it with local achar (pickle) or
soup. It is full of iron element, so it is better to eat for good health.
ii. Lungghakcha [luNghAkcA]:
It is a food variety of green-corn. Its name reveals own-self its type i.e. lung "stone", kaklikpa "round in shape" and kuja "edible thing" or edible
thing shaped like grinder stone. It is made from fresh green-corn-cub a grain
which is sweet in flavor. The fresh green corn-cub is sucked and grains removed
from com and grinded it in grinding stone mixing necessary water amount which
make ease to grind it. The grinded corn dough needs to shape like pickle
grinder stone and wrap with large green sucks of same corn. The wrapped
lungghakcha pieces put into a pot add water and boil them in oven. When it is
cooked, then it can be served as lunch or dinner or snack, too.
iii. Sigolya [sigolyA] and penagolya [pEnAgolyA]:
Sigolya is made up of wheat of barley flour and penagolya is of millet flour.
Using the dough of flour, it is prepared bigger marble like round pieces or
middle finger shaped sticks. It is cooked placing on boiling rice or soup pot.
It is served as snaks or lunch with curry or pickle.
iv. Kharen [kh«rEN]: Baked bread is called Kharen by Limbu people. The bread is
named following the type of grain flour i.e. pena khareng the bread of millet
flour; ma:khi kharen, the bread of corn flour; kyabo kharen, the bread of
buckwheat flour; si kahreng, the barely or wheat flour, etc. The Limbus bakes
the khareng in karai or fire furnace. They usually consume it as breakfast or
snacks with curry or pickles.
v.
Pabar
[pab«r]: Pabar is
generally made to offer the God and Goddess when people worship them. However, it
is eaten as snacks, too. To make it, first of all, rice is rinsed and wet it,
then grind in grind stone or mill in wooden mortar. It is cooked using ghee on
pan with its dough.
vi. Manda[mAùndA]: The Limbu people prepare soup of
millet flour which is called manda. Such grain soup is served especially in the
winter season as breakfast or snacks. By tempering spices, tungdungge nudhi (jimmu or a sort of green grass like ingredients), garlic etc. in ghee and made it more
delicious.
vii. Hakwa [hAùkwa]: Rice is used
to make hakwa. Especially, hakwa is sued to serve the patients in Limbu
society. It is also some time used as snacks in the winter season. As manda, by
tempering spices, tungdungge nudhi
(jimmu or a sort of green grass like ingredients), garlic etc. in ghee and made it more delicious.
(b) Curry Items: Chembigi:k,
yangben, sargyangma, wamyuk,
kasaksakpa, na:manaba phaksa, sagisumbak are the curry items
i. Chembigi:k [cEmbighik]:
Chembigi:k is a unique Limbu ethnic curry item. It is named as chembigi:k or
kinima by the Limbues in their language respectively. Literally chembigi:k is
king of curry dish prepared from fermented soybean. It is called imbringgi:k or
kinima as well.
To make it, at first, soybean is boiled to cook it
and beaten it as hot as possible in okhal [a wooden device sumdang set with half hollow
big tree trunk and kyang (pole). When
it is beaten, its seed should divide into two half, not more than that. In next
step, we sealed the basket by leaves of lungdhoyu,
a type of husked leafy plant; or leaves of banana. Then, put into the
boiled and beaten soybean into the sealed or covered basket, a hot coal put
into the center part of the dump, top slightly with ash powder, cover with
leaves and wrapped by clothes and leave it in hot place or beside the fire
place. It will be ready in one night in warmer season and in two nights in
winter seasons. The fermented chembigi:k can be consume as it is or after
drying it in sun mixing with some corn flour. It is usually sued as kinima sumbak or soup curry or dry-fry
curry, and as pickle, too.
ii. Yangben [yQNbEn]: Yangben is another ethnic curry of Limbu
community. Yangben is a particular type of moss which is grown in branches of khechingse (chestnut) or wasama (alder) trees as parasite plant.
Yangben preparation and cooking follows sorting, boiling (three to four hours
mixing with ash until it doesn't change the white color to brown and soft) it
and dried it on mat. Yangben is usually cooked with pork meat, blood and
cutting pieces of intestines, heart, leaver etc. It is cooked using local spice
fruit i.e. tomato, ginger, garlic, onion, coriander, chilly, etc. It is generally consumed as dry curry.
iii. Sargyangma [sargQNmA]:
In simply, sargyangma is casing stuffed with spicy meat (Encarta, 2009). Limbus
makes it using a tube of pig (pork) intestine which is casing with finely
chopped pork meat, heart, leaver, fats, spices as consumes' own test mixing
pig's blood. It is boiled in hot water until it is fully cooked. After then, it
is chopped, fried and consumed.
iv.
Wamyuk
[w«myuk]: Wamyuk is an
especial curry variety. It is made using local fowl or chicken's burned
feathers when it is used as chicken meat. Collected burned feather of chicken
is finely chopped with its head, legs, wings, leaver etc and formed keema
mixture. It is cooked or fried in oil or ghee using local spice fruits and
other market spices. It is consume as soup or dried curry variety.
Furthermore,
the Limbus consumes kasaksakpa (a
dried fried variety of pork fat) and namanaba
phaksa (a dried fried variety of pork meat) of pork, and sagi sumbak or sasungge sumbak, (sauce curry of nettle), pha:ndo sumbak (sauce curry of dry soybean flour), phaksa-nudhi sumbak (mixture curry of
pork and spinach leaves) etc.
(c)
Pickle Items:
The pickle is necessitous in guest hospitality and also commonly used it with
dishes in Limbus food behaviur. A Limbu
goes to see his or her relatives with a sijangwa (wine) bottle, there must be
pickle set of pere:nggo or che:p (purse-shaped flat netted basket woven of
split bamboo). Some pickles are as below.
- Philingge
(niger) pickle
- Pha:ndo
(dry soybean flour) pickle
- Yakkhose?
nu?met (pumpkin seed) pickle
- Kinima
(fermented soybean) pickle
- Mesu
or Phesu:ppa (bamboo shoot)
pickle, etc.
- Singkee
(fermented radish) pickle
- Kandyaruk
(fermented spinach) pickle
- Yangben
pickle
Among
these pickles, philingge, pha:ndo,
yakkhose? are made up of
seeds by drying and grinding. The others, kinima,
phesu:ppa, singkee, kandyaruk, yangben are fermented and cooked or uncooked
type of pickles.
(d) Beverage Items: The
Limbu people enjoy fermented and distilled type of beverages. Categorically,
the Limbu beverages are known as si:pmanaba
THI (filtered millet-grain beer), thongba
and sijangwa. Among these three, the
tongba is Limbu iconic beverage. The main source of Limbu beverage is THI or jaand (beer) which is prepared by cooking and fermenting whole
grain millet. It can be prepared from any grain like rice, barley, wheat, corn
etc, too. However, the thongba is
preferred the millet THI.
'Many cultures make singular contributions to
humanity, and in the case of the Limbu people if eastern Nepal, it is the drink
known as tongba', Easen
(http://www.time.com) concludes about tonga and Limbu people and he adds 'tongba is like Guiness to the Irish or
whisky to the Scots.' Tongba is made in a cylindrical wooden pot with polished
brass banding, the thongba, from
which the drink gets its name. It is
filled with fermented millet seeds or THI.
Traditionally, thongba THI (fermented
alcoholic mass) is stored for about six months.
Hot water is added there and drinkers suck the alcoholic mixture through
a bamboo straw with tiny filters to keep the seeds out, and it is never-ending
affair. Namanaba phaksa (fried pork
meat), sengnaba sa (dried meat by sun
heat or fire heat above the hearth or smoking) or wadhin nu?met
(egg dry curry).
Hena
Muma[hEnA mumA]:
Hena muma is hosting etiquette which is
most essential in Limbus society especially hosting the guests.
Divisions
of Limbus Folk Foods
 |
| Image source: google.com |
Foods can be divided into according to its functions, too. According to B.
Srilakshmi, foods are classified into four groups i.e. Energy yielding, Body
building, Protection and regulation, and Maintenance of health (2010: 2). Table 1 USDA Food Pyramid
According to
the foods nature, they are generally divided into three categories: perishable,
semi-perishable and non-perishable (Dhoju et al, 2009: 25). This categorization
also will be applied in the case of Limbus foods.
(a)
Perishable Limbus Foods: Under
this category, we can list spinach, green fruit spices, chembigi:k or kinima
(in non-dried form), fresh meats, etc.
(b) Semi-perishable
Limbus Foods: The
mesu or phesu:ppa (bamboo shoot), mangdak
khedhum (millet flour), chembigi:k or kinima (in dried
form), THI (fermented beer), sijangwa (distilled wine, it is periodic
in nature), eggs, sengmanaba sa (dried meats) etc foods can be categorized under this
group.
(c) Non-Perishable Limbu Foods:
In this category, rice, philingge
(niger), pha:ndo (dry soybean flour),
yakkhose? nu?met
(pumpkin seed), singkee (fermented
radish), kandyaruk (fermented
spinach), yangben (moss), rice,
khedhum (flours), etc. can be included in relation.
Special message of Limbu Folk foods
Foods simply are only not consumed to treat the hunger. It sometimes
carries special meanings. The subtle message conveyed by a particular food may
be nonverbal exchange between people at a meal or a social occasion
(McWilliams, 2005: 29). In foods consumption, Limbu society has its own
messages with certain food items while it is provided. Such food items and its
messages are as below:
Food Items
|
Occasion
|
Message
|
THI or SEJANGWA with pickles playing Chyabrung band music
|
while bride is accompanying to bridegroom's home village
|
Hearty welcome.
|
TANGBA/TONGBA [barrel-shaped vessel or pot with lid to serve the
fermented millet beer which is drunk with the help of bamboo straw—pipsing]
|
while guests arrive at home or marriage or other ceremonies
|
Warm welcome and highly respect
|
PHUDONG [hospitality with a feast of mutton, pork, chicken, etc.]
|
while guests are at the time phase of returning back
|
Especial Honor
|
Topping of green leaves on meal, foods, tangba, food plates, etc.
|
while guests are provided their meal especially in marriage ceremony,
etc.
|
Purity, cleanness and holy.
|
O?MANABA SADIM/SIL
(grilled fresh meat of various parts of slaughtered pig)
|
while pig slaughter worshiping to Gods and Goddess
|
Offering as holy food.
|
SALTLESS PORK MEAT
|
while worshiping Goddess Pichhamma
|
-
|
SEBAMBHE [free shared meat to neighbors and relatives]
|
while worshiping to Gods and Goddess sacrificing pigs, chicken,
buffalo, etc.
|
To show bond and courtesy to each other.
|
CHILLI AND SALT with dish
|
while providing meal to guests and even own-self
|
|
Fully fill PHANGNA and KUNDA
[jar and water pot] with water and leave
|
In the night.
|
Thirsty soul got the chance to drink water whenever it needs.
|
CHEBON [fried unhusked rice or maize; popcorn]
|
It is used during funerals procession.
|
-
|
SAMDAKKHONG [lump of verities of tasty cooked foods, fruits, and
vegetables]
|
It is offered to the dead soul during the purification ceremony.
|
Offering it as present to dead soul.
|
Impact of Climate Change in Limbus Foods
Woods are being destroyed in the geographical area or Limbuwan where the
Limbu ethnics are dwelled for immemorial time. By this situation results the
climate changes, too. As result some nature
product food varieties such as yangben,
pa:ts (jungle grown mushrooms), kha?nakpa (Nepal pepper prickly ash, a type of herb), chimbhin (a kind of herbal plant with
small white flowers which are used for pickle), warekpa (cubeb, a kind
of tree with aromatic leaves), herbs of yeast, raw material of mesu, meding [zanthoxylum budrunga]
(Subba, 2002: 111) etc. are being scare day by day.
Patenting folk knowledge
and its natural and cultural properties, is being great problem. Same case,
bio-piracy and patenting of indigenous folk knowledge is raising as theft
double theft problem because first it allows theft of creativity and innovation,
and secondly, the exclusive rights established by patents on stolen knowledge
steal economic options of everyday survival on the basis of our indigenous
biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. Over time, the patents can be used to
create monopolies and make everyday products highly priced. Such a challenge is
in front of the indigenous or folk peoples, which is a share problem of the
indigenous Limbu peoples, too. We know, in the Atitlan Declaration on the right
on food, avoids that economic development
based on globalization free trade, industrial agriculture and unsustainable
development, and also persists that
indigenous peoples insist on the principle of so-called food sovereignty, which
is defined as "the peoples', countries' or state unions' but food sovereignty
and the right to food are concept that indigenous peoples often use together or
interchangeably that the former is a policy concept whereas the latter is a
human right (The Right to Food Guidelines and Indigenous Peoples, F. A. O.,
2009: 16). But it is fact, Arjun Limbu, former Chairperson of Kirat Yakthumg
Chumlung, a common Limbu Social Organization, imparted that any Limbu folk
knowledge or traditional foods are never patented by Limbu organizations or
persons to this date (interviewed, on March 20, 2012).
Possibility of Limbu Folk Food Security
Globalization refers to the accelerated
international flow of goods, capital, labor, services and information which
replaced local and traditional knowledge and practices. Same scenario is coming
into view in the case of the Limbu foods consuming folk ways. Among dozens of
Limbu people's food, tongba is
expanding its commercial horizon, but it is hijacked by other communities or
business houses. It divulges that there is great challenge in continuity and
preservation of Limbu folk foods and beverages. Its simple message is that
possibility of Limbu folk food security is not easy and in positive situation.
Conclusions
Limbu peoples have many indigenous folk foods and knowledge. These are
distinctive in nature and identity of the Limbus. But, these ethnic and folk assets,
the icons of the nation, are going to be wiped out because of intruding of
so-called multinational productions. Furthermore, because of bio-piracy and
patent stealing, the ownership is going to be lost by the community. To save
such traditional knowledge, which reflect human civilization evolvement;
government and concerning community should make short-term and long-term plans
and apply them effectively. ***
Main
Source
McWilliams, Margaret. 2007. Food Around the World: A
Cultural Perspective. Dorling
Kindersley Pvt. Ltd. India.
Sims, Martha C. and Stephens, Martine. 2005. Living Folklore: an introduction to the
study of people and their tradition. Utah State University Press. Logan, Utah.
Tumyahang, Amar. 2069. The Limbus and Foods in
Relation to Indigenous Knowledge. Limbuwan Journal [pp. 9-22], Vol. 1, Issue 2,
2069.
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A
paper presented on 23 February, 2014 in an Seminar on the theme 'Ethno-Folk Literature of
Limboos', organized Sahitya Akademy Agartala India and Managed by Department of
Limboo, Namchi Govt. College, Sikkim
