Assam lies nestled in the far north-east corner of the Indian subcontinent. A country blessed with ample natural resources, the state of Assam also has a plethora of options in terms of choosing their core food sources. Banana or kol, as named in Assamese, has hundreds of varieties available in many parts of the world. They grow particularly well in tropical countries. It is found abundantly in the state of Assam and people have been making judicious use of the fruit and its plant parts in their cuisine since time immemorial. But nevertheless, a detailed review on its uses and importance and rising popularity in ethnic delicacies has not yet been documented well. This paper attempts to bring together the popular banana-based recipes of Assam state and its use in everyday religious ceremonies by the people of this community. It has age-old recipes used commonly in Assamese households and descriptive analysis of their microbial and biochemical diversity. It aims to bring to the fore the rising popularity of these ethnic dishes amongst modern population and is an attempt to revive these dishes and bring them into the mainstream Indian ethnic cuisine. As more and more people become aware of ethnic cuisine, it increases a global connectivity based on exchange of such information from lesser-known sources. The importance and significance of documenting these lesser-known recipes of Indian Assamese cuisine is an attempt to keep it relevant and take it to a broader audience who are appreciative of such oriental dishes. It is also high time a policy framework is worked upon by respective government of state and the centre for the true recognition and sustainability of such ethnic cuisine.

No abstract

Background: India is a land of diverse food culture and habits and has a plethora of ethnic fermented foods to boast of. Ranging from the north east to the western part of the country and from northern Indian states to the southern tip of the country, fermented ethnic foods have become part of everyday meals and have been able to bridge nutritional gaps and improve general immunity of the people. Most ethnic fermented foods have a rich content of protein, vitamins, fibres and minerals. Aim: Our review attempts to bring forth and summarise the most popular, immune boosting fermented foods of various regions in India, the role microbes’ play in their making and how they have impacted the nutritional aspects and immunity of people in various regions of the country. It also highlights the lack of clinical findings in proving the effectiveness of most fermented foods. Methods: Pubmed central and Google scholar were extensively searched from inception to July 2021 for study concepts and topic related keywords. Results: Ethnic fermented food of various Indian regions has shown a definitive role in improving health and immunity. Conclusion: The diverse ethnic fermented foods maybe be meat based, cereal based, pulses based and even vegetable based. Their health benefits and immune boosting abilities are still to be explored to its maximum potential. Often the role of microbes in these fermented foods have also been underplayed and left unexplored.