Arunachal's Own "Ek Chutki Tapyo Swad Anusar"

Necessity is the mother of invention, and for the Apatani tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, it led to the creation of Tapyo—an alternative to common salt that has become a symbol of self-sustenance and cultural identity.

Locally made salt is popular in the Northeast of India | Source: Arunachal Living Heritag

The journey of humanity through various phases of transition has brought us to the age of modernisation. Today, with convenient transportation, we can order even the most minute things from any part of the world. However, life was not always this easy. Overcoming the lack of availability of substances led people to undertake the laborious task of producing things locally. The Apatanis, a tribe residing in the Northeastern region of India, embody this spirit.

The Zero Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, the land of the Apatanis, offers a picturesque landscape with fresh air, organic farming, less crowded roads, and a traditional way of life relatively untouched by modern society and technology. Distinguished by dark green tattoos on their nose and chin, nose and ear plugs, Apatani women believe these adornments enhance their beauty.

Their staple food, rice, is complemented with various meats and leafy vegetables. However, certain food products were not readily available in this region due to transportation challenges. Spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and even turmeric were sparingly used. The key ingredient, salt, presented a unique challenge.

While mainland India had easy access to salt due to long sea coasts, the Northeastern states, with thwir hilly terrain and lack of coasts, faced difficulties in trade. This led the Apatanis to craft their own salt, known as 'tapyo,' a symbol of self-sufficiency.

The intricate process of making tapyo begins with collecting locally grown plants like Pepu and Sarshe. Approximately 300 kilograms of these plants are sun-dried for two to three hours and then burned to ash. These ashes are collected in a bamboo vessel, allowing liquid to filter out. This liquid is steamed for five to seven hours, sometimes with added water, and cooled before being wrapped in a leaf called Lolly. Placed on top of a vessel containing rice beer for three days, the leaf absorbs water vapour. After this period, the product is reheated to dry up moisture, resulting in the final product – the red clay-coloured indigenous salt known as tapyo.

Women of the Apatani tribe engaged in the process of making salt | Source: Arunachal Pradesh

This labour-intensive process produces only one kilogram of tapyo from 300 kilograms of plant products. Despite the effort, the Apatanis' expertise in creating this red salt has not only enriched their favourite beverage (rice beer) but has also empowered the tribe economically.

One kilogram of tapyo is sold at about ₹300 in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tapyo, priced at about ₹300 per kg in Arunachal Pradesh, goes beyond being a salt substitute; it has become the identity of Apatani culture, reflecting their self-sufficiency.