High in the Chug Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, a bright red table has assumed the role of a culinary custodian.

Think of Damu’s Heritage Dine, started in March 2024, as a pretty exemplar of how a community’s umbilical links with its food can be preserved in simple ways. Sharing how they were convinced to embrace the idea of the community dining space, host Leike Chomu (23) recalls the challenges that she and seven other families were facing, “We used to farm earlier. But slowly, people were stopping to buy buckwheat and millets (staples grown by the Monpa tribe).” The changing palate preferences saw the men being relegated to the fields as daily wage labourers, while the women did what they knew best — weaving.

But there was an evident sadness in watching their culture gradually walk into oblivion.

So, when the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) India pitched them an idea — in line with the WWF’s goal of nurturing CCAs (community conserved areas), the boutique eatery would offer the Monpa people a lifeline of sorts — the prospect excited Leike and the others. They were on board.

This kicked off Damu’s Heritage Dine, which is helmed by eight women; ‘Damu’ translates to ‘daughter’ in Duhumbi, the local language of Chug.

Today, we dine with them. Tag along.

Resuscitating fading authentic traditions

Damu’s Heritage Dine has a dual vantage, Leike points out. For one, it’s bearing witness to a resurgence of Monpa foods; it’s also what restrains the community from unsustainable practices. “Previously, our basti (hamlet) would earn from selling hunted meat or chopped wood. But the WWF wanted the forest to be saved,” Leike explains.

When requested to stop, the community had a simple — but fair retort, “Then how can we earn?” Thus came about the idea of this community tourism model that would be championed by eight families.

Now,........

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