Diverse ethnic food practices of the Galo tribe in Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

The present study has been undertaken to to study the diverse ethnic food practices of the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.The present study was conducted in 20 villages of Tirbin and Kangku circle of West Siang district during the year 2017. 200 households i.e. 10 households in each village was purposively selected for the study. The food practices of the Galo tribe ranges from the use of fermented bamboo shoot to edible wild plants and insects which are mostly collected by the woman folk of this community from the jungles. The prevailing knowledge systems of diverse ethnic food practices are passed on generations after generations by the elder members of this community. However the younger generations lack interests in learning those traditional food systems which is great threat to the existence of those traditional food system as well as to the eco-culture of the Galo tribe. Therefore, it is important on the part of the government to plan and implement certain policies to preserve those valuable traditional food practices of the Galo tribe thereby contributing to the overall health and well being of the people belonging to this tribe in particular and to the mankind as a whole.