Indigenous Food of Manipur—Women Custodians of Culinary Culture

Manipur is a small landlocked state in North East India with a population of approximately three million, and the state shares an international border with Myanmar. The women enjoy a fairly high status, albeit in an overarching patrilineal framework. They enjoy considerable mobility which is often mistaken for empowerment. Women are proud custodians of the knowledge and practice of indigenous food and as custodians, they are a link between the past and the present. Indigenous Food is a mark and symbol of a people’s culture and identity. The knowledge that women possess is passed down generations and so preserved for posterity. But do women get the recognition they deserve as preservers and bearers of Indigenous Food culinary practices? Are they adequately compensated for their labor and time? It is taken for granted that a woman, whether as a leishabi (girl), mou (married woman), or hanubi (older woman), has certain duties and responsibilities related to household and agricultural work which are a great incidence on the time, labor and well-being of a woman. The entire chain of agricultural production from the field, market to home is largely the preserve of women. Women not only work in cultivation and adopt environmentally friendly practices, they also transport produce to the market, sell it, and take some home for consumption. A part of the food is processed for sale and future household consumption, cooking of indigenous dishes on a daily basis in the home is done by women who also have a role in food preparation for festivals and other occasions which mark the Passage of Rites. Women perform these tasks largely by rote; their daily cooking is largely unappreciated and undervalued. What would happen if women withdrew from these tasks? Across the world it is women who are primarily responsible for the entire chain of food production. It is imperative that practical strategies are implemented to ensure gender parity and justice. Women must be fully empowered and receive recognition for their labor, and their position as custodians of Indigenous Food.