Traditional knowledge associated with numsing, an ethnic fish product prepared by Mising tribes of Upper Assam, India.

Abstract

The common method of preparation of numsing, a traditional fish product developed by the Mising community of Assam and the traditional knowledge associated with it are discussed. Flame dried and smoked small economic fish species (Puntius spp., Amblypharyngodon sp., Lepidocephalus sp., Channa spp., Trichogaster (Colisa) spp., Danio spp., Mastacembelus spp., Mystus spp., Rasbora spp., etc.) and petioles of arum (Alocasia macrorrhiza) are ground together, packed in bamboo container and fermented for about 30 days to prepare the product. The complete process involves 11 distinct steps and the end product is preserved in the fermenting bamboo container itself by keeping it suspended over a fire place. It is consumed after steam cooking or after preparing some curry along with vegetables. Protein rich fish is balanced with carbohydrate content in the product, probably increasing the dietary fibre content as well, when it is supplemented with arum petioles. In addition, the product is the outcome of a wonderful traditional technology which combines three well established food processing techniques –drying, smoking and fermentation and also a compatible means of preserving fish for scares-fish seasons as a partial solution to protein malnutrition.