The food habit in Shillong is a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. People mostly prefer plants and vegetables as an add-on to the dishes. The cooking style here is mostly outdoor follows slow cooking and grilling methods. People use fewer spices and give a chance to the natural flavor of the meat to flourish.
Let’s have a look at some of the traditional dishes of the region.
Jadoh
Jadoh is the signature dish of Shillong and entire Meghalaya. It is a minced pork meat dish, cooked with rice and turmeric. Natives serve this dish with smoked tomatoes and hot red chilies.
The best part of this dish is that people traditionally use raw turmeric (grind them into mortar and pestle) instead of the dried and powdered one. One can feel the nascent taste of turmeric in the dish.
Here is a recipe for this dish.
Chowmein
It sounds much like a Chinese dish, which it is, is also the most popular street food in the city. You can find people cooking Chowmein in a wok. The Shillong version of Chowmein is hot and spicy and served with pork. People generally use egg noodles to prepare this dish.
Dohneiiong
It is a pork dish and truly a must-have delicacy in Shillong. In this dish, pork is cooked in soy sauce with a generous amount of black sesame seeds. The final serving incorporates garnishing with toasted sesame seeds, which imparts a crunchy feel to the dish.
Tungrymbai
It is one of the popular dishes of Shillong. It is also street food and you can find queues in the stalls selling this dish. Tungrymbai is prepared from fermented soybeans and people serve them with a slice of bread or chapati.
This dish is among the few completely vegetarian dishes of Shillong.
Do O Pura
Do O Pura is a chicken dish prepared with green mustard leaves and rice flour. Because of the mustard leaves, the dish looks light green in color and imparts the flavor of chicken and mustard.
In Shillong, you will find outlets for selling farm-fresh strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, etc. Do not forget to bring home these treats, as they have a different level of freshness and distinguishable taste from those we buy from supermarkets. People also chew betel leaves most of the time, you can try their version of betels. You can also book a taxi in Shillong on day rental and enjoy sightseeing and food trail.
Useful Links-
Shillong: One-day trip planner