Jharkhand’s Tribal Cuisine: Pickles From Local Produce

Pickling is the process of preserving food or prolonging its shelf life through immersion in vinegar or anaerobic fermentation in brine. Pickling usually alters the flavour and texture of the food. Pickled foods include dairy products, eggs, meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables.

Pickling solutions are often very salty and highly acidic, with a pH of 4.6 or lower, which inhibits the activity of enzymes and the growth of microorganisms. Perishable goods can be preserved with pickling for several months or even years. Antimicrobial spices and herbs, including cloves, cinnamon, garlic, and mustard seeds, are frequently added. 

Read More: Instant Pickle Recipes That Are Perfect For Monsoon

Just adding dry salt can create a pickling brine if the food has enough moisture. The necessary acidity is produced by lactic acid bacteria fermentation naturally at room temperature. 

Vegetables are marinated in vinegar to make other pickles. Pickling, which involves fermentation, is similar to canning in that food need not be totally sterile before being sealed. Which bacteria predominate and the final product's flavour is determined by the solution's acidity or salinity, fermentation temperature, and oxygen exclusion.

The forests of Jharkhand have a hot and humid climate which results in severe summertimes with low harvestation along with excessive rains following the summer. During this time, It is essential for the tribal people to collect as much food as possible because the climate difficulties cause less produce. Keep on reading to know about different pickles famous in tribal cuisine in Jharkhand.

Pickles You Didn’t Know About

Pickled meat

Meat pickles play a significant role in the culinary traditions of Jharkhand's tribal groups. These pickles have generation-old preservation methods, made with locally sourced meats like goat or pork. The meat is marinated in a mixture of salt, turmeric, and other spices, followed by either light frying or sun-drying. People also add mustard oil, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, and various local spices to the dried meat accentuating its smoky flavour.  

Pickle Ber

Ber, also known as Indian jujube or ber, is found in abundance in Jharkhand’s forest. Tribal communities have long used ber to make a nutrient-dense pickle. Picking ripe baer fruits, then washing, drying, and puncturing them to let the spices pass through are some of the steps involved. A mixture of spices such as red chilli powder, fenugreek, and fennel seeds to the fruit, along with mustard and jaggery, is made. Once covered, this mixture is kept in clay pots and in the sun for a few days, allowing the flavours to blend and intensify.  

Pickled Amla

The fruit known as wild gooseberry, or amla, is highly valued for its advantages and taste. To prepare the gooseberries, first wash and dry them. Then, blanch them to make their texture softer. Next, as a natural preservative, the blanched berries are marinated in salt, turmeric, chilli powder, mustard oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek, and asafoetida. Wild gooseberry pickle is cherished for its sweet and spicy taste.  

Sun Dried Fish Pickle

In Jharkhand, where freshwater fish is mostly found in abundance, sun-dried fish pickles are a beloved treat among the tribal populations. This pickle is a sour and savoury way to preserve fish with regional spices. The process begins with the selection of fresh fish, which undergoes cleaning, salting, and sun-drying for several days to attain the required level of dryness. Then these are marinated in salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric.  

Pickled Kalonji Mahua 

Mahua flowers and nigella seeds originate in Jharkhand's tribal communities. The forest has plenty of natural growth of mahua trees. Mahua flowers are cleaned and then sun-dried to lower their moisture content. They then get combined with roasted kalonji seeds, which add a nutty flavour. Spices like turmeric, salt, and red chilli powder are added. Kalonji Mahua pickle is often served with rice or flatbreads.

Pickled Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo shoot pickle is a treasured delicacy in Jharkhand's tribal regions. People recognize the crisp texture and somewhat sweet, earthy flavour of the shoots plucked from young bamboo plants.  These are some of the tastiest pickles one can have. Bamboo pickles are very chewy and refreshing, similar to sehjan drumsticks. 

These different types of pickles are available in the local market and Sunday markets, where tribal people also sell them to the crowd of Jharkhand. If you want to try something aside from mango pickle and garlic pickle, you can try these varieties to enhance your taste buds.