By Sobhapati Samom
In a move to showcase the sensational look and taste of the chilli having the most distinguishing character besides setting up a collection centre in the markets of Northeast India, the first-ever Chilli festival or Hathei phanit was held at Sira-Rakhong village, 80 km from here in Ukhrul district, on Tuesday last.
The festival was held under the aegis of Sira-Rakhong Sinao Long (SSL) – a women’s body of this western village of the Tangkhuls. International Fund for Agricultural Development’s official Ticychicus Vashum was the chief guest of the festival.
“Our objective of organizing such a gala festival is to re-introduce the sensational look and taste of the chilli having the most distinguishing character in the region”, V Aphi, President of the SSL told The Assam Tribune.
Sira-Rakhong is known for it’s exclusive variety of chilli, brinjal, cotton and an endangered rice variety called –changlei-thi in Tangkhul dialect.
“We are trying to impart awareness about the status of our age-old agricultural plants as the villagers here have started to face continuous invasion by the exotic varieties”, a functionary of the organiser body felt.
The dry red chilli powder of Sira-Rakhong village has it’s own colour. Though the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Assam’s ‘Bhut Jolokia’ as the hottest spice in 2007 for measuring 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which means it contains the highest naturally occurring amount of capsaicin (the pungent chemical in chillies) in the world, according to the Guinness Book, Sira-Rakhong villagers believed the chilli variety which was available in their village since time immemorial is one of the best health concern chilli.
Also known as Hathei in Tangkhul dialect was one of the four main agricultural crops in the hill village. Unlike the past the village has been harvesting a minimum of 10,000 kilograms every season without any technical inputs or chemical fertilizer.
via The Assam Tribune
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