Meat, once a taboo, is now ubiquitous in every meal
Source: The Sangai Express / Porcia Soubam

Imphal, July 30 2014: An all pervasive meat consumption culture has evolved in Manipur, more precisely in Imphal valley with the changing lifestyles of the young Manipuri population.

Till the last century, eating chicken, pork or any type of meat was a rare luxury.

Although Meiteis were/are never strict vegetarians, any type of meat was strictly pro- hibited after majority of the Manipur valley populace was proselytised into Vaishnavite sect of Hinduism.

Yet, Mei-teis are known for their fond- ness for fish.

But by the turn of the 20th century, and the growth of liberal ideas and thoughts coupled with exposure to the outside world, the Meitei worldview including their food habit underwent dramatic changes.

A meat stall at Imphal offering meat cuisine

The last couple of years have witnessed a sharp rise in meat consumption.

If there is problem in the daily import of poultry from other States, the pain is somewhat similar to shortage of fuel.

There are many meat shops in and around every locality of Imphal to literally serve the gastronomic delights of this generation.

Let's start with OK Chicken.

The hotel which is in some sense a trend setter in selling ready-to-serve chic-ken items.

Over the years, OK Chicken has become a brand name on its own without shelling out a penny on advertisements.

For many Manipuris, chic-ken curry packed in polythene and wrapped with newspaper is OK.

The normal conversation is, get OK and the buyer gets cooked chicken wrapped in newspaper whether it is from OK Chicken hotel or any fast food joint.

Such is the popularity of OK Chic-ken.

Toeing on the lines of OK Chicken, many such fast food joints for cooked meat have mushroomed in around the capital town in the last few years.

Two or three steel pots and some fries in a glass box.

Lo behold, the delight of the young generation is there.

Nowadays, children don't eat their dinner without some fries or a packet from these joints.

With food consumption habit of the parents also changing, they also don't mind the packets for meals as a side dish.

To cash in on the increasing demand for such food, there are lines and lines of such joints on the road sides.

By evening there is traffic jam at Singjamei, Khagempalli, Konung Mamang, Uripok, Sagolband� with people queuing up to buy the packets for their dinners and evening parties.

These food stalls apart from generating good revenue is also feeding many families by providing employment.

Tintin, Khagempalli, employs around seven people.

The sale is 50 kgs of chicken prepared in various styles, 26 kgs of pork and around 10 kg of duck meat.

The profit is around Rs 10,000 per day, which means the proprietor Prem Moirangthem makes a profit of around Rs 3,00,000 per month.

His income is not less than any first grade Government employee's monthly salary.

Another stall which has been around since 1981, SSS Chicken Centre in Thangal Bazaar, manages to sell around 15 kgs of cooked chic-ken every day.

Tutu Chicken, also in Khagempalli, just next to Tintin, which employs around 4 persons, also prepares 40-50 kgs of chicken every day, earning a profit of around Rs 7,000 per day.

At Wangkhei Thangapat Mapal, there's a small ramshackled stall that sells pork dish.

It's been there for more than 25 years and one of the pioneers for selling cooked pork in Imphal area.

The place has no sign board but people throng there in the evening.

Wangkhei Thangapat Mapal has become synonymous with Ok (pork) Chaoba.

There is a report about import of around 5000 chicks everyday by flight.

Summing up all these facts from the stalls lined up in almost every locality, it boils down to the fact that this business is here to stay.

Almost all families have become nuclear.

So many people have also started going in for cheaper and labour effective food.

Cheaper in the sense that some small packets manages to satisfy us.

If you cook chicken or any other meat at home, there is question of time, labour and also there is the culture of serving a bowl to your brother-in-law's family or your neighbours.

But with packets you can finish it off quietly within your small family, without the aroma spreading to the next house.

With more and more people becoming working parents and most of them ever busy to take/bring their children to/from tuition classes, it has become a hassle-free technique to feed them before their classes.

The children also readily agree to eat and this is one big factor for booming chicken and ready-to-eat meat business.

Taste buds of the new generation have changed swive- ling towards the poultry, pork mutton and beef.

Once Ningol Chakoaba was celebrated with Shareng and Rohu dishes, but now for the kids who tag along with their mothers, they prefer the chicken and other meat.

Even parents are finding it difficult to shaft out the bones from the fish.

Now, kids are obsessed with nuggets, lollipops and wings, of course, of chicken and duck.

Any form of cooked meat is available now.

So, slowly the younger generation have started shying away from the pakora and kanghow and landed themselves in the bowls of chicken, pork, duck and mutton.

But one thing which all the meat consumers, young and old alike overlook, is how safe and hygienic are the packaged meat items sold at road side stalls.

Neither the Government authority nor the public pays any attention to this question.

One can tickle one's taste bud as much as one wishes but it should not be at the cost of one's health.