Leiyolan Vashum and Zeinorin Angkang are bringing the wealthy pure produce of Manipur’s Ukhrul province to meals lovers in numerous Indian cities, via e-commerce.
Ukhrul, in Manipur, populated by the indigenous Tangkhul tribe, is a land is nestled in nature’s bounty, steeped in historical custom and buoyed by a contemporary outlook.
Leiyolan Vashum and Zeinorin Angkang of Ukhrul inform the story of their individuals, via their wealthy produce. The couple, with a background in Management and Communication Studies, began Hill Wild within the winter of 2017.
The enterprise turned common for its confections infused with native produce, however took a detour in 2020. “With the arrival of the pandemic, everything came to a grinding halt,” explains Zeinorin, as she juggles on-line orders and social media updates.
What the corporate stumbled upon as a predicament final yr, quickly reworked into a chance. “On one hand, access to produce was limited, while on the other, plentiful harvest could not make it to consumers on time.
So we launched Taste Ukhrul, a brand that would bring artisanal produce from the region to the rest of the country, and create a network for farmers to sell their harvest,” Zeinorin says.
Zeinorin Angkang and Leiyolan Vashum. Photo: Special Arrangement/THE HINDU
They had clearly hit the spot: within the midst of lockdown, the small enterprise was inundated with on-line orders. “I remember our small team packing till 11pm once, so we could meet our dispatch deadline the next day,” Zeinorin recounts.
Under the umbrella of Taste Ukhrul, a bouquet of distinctive produce is harvested, minimally processed and packed for cargo. Ukhrul plums, Sirarakhong chilli , Sivathei/king chilli (hitting a whopping million items on the Scoville Heat Scale), Kachai lemon, Ningthee sumac berry, Raphei perilla seeds (utilized in salads and with meats), wild figs, dried wild apples, kiwi sweet and ginger powder have made their solution to kitchens throughout India.
“We want to showcase Ukhrul’s tasty natural produce. With its amazing terrain, rainfall and proximity to the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, Ukhrul has a cornucopia of delicious spices, vegetables and fruit.
This venture motivates our small land-holder farmers and even our youth, to take up agriculture not just to sustain ourselves, but to ensure food security,” Zeinorin explains.
Sirarakhong chilli. Photo: Jim Kason, Special Arrangement/THE HINDU
Taste Ukhrul is now working with over 200 farmers, with extra additions each season. “Our recent work on International Women’s Day with Talui garlic farmers makes us particularly joyous.
Two hundred women planted the same garlic on small patches of land, grown without pesticides. They gathered manure from the forest, mulched it regularly, adding organic compost as fertilizer. The same heirloom garlic, now yields collective sales with equitable wealth distribution across the community,” states Zeinorin.
The little victories are actually candy, reminisces the couple, “Just before Diwali, Ukhrul had at least 10 tonnes of harvested kiwi fruit and some farmers approached us to speed up sales when the stock was fresh. We sold three tonnes of fresh kiwi locally, but we had to think on our feet to preserve the rest of it.”
She says they lastly made it into sweet-sour kiwi sweet, by slicing the fruit skinny, soaking it in sugar after which dehydrating it below the solar. “This was just one of the many instances for us where we felt a sense of responsibility to our farming community,” Zeinorin says.
Grassroots first
Ernest Luikham, a neighborhood farmer with incapacity, grows tree tomatoes. His wealthy harvest from a 1,500-tree farm has impressed native ladies to supply produce from him for his or her pickle enterprise.
“Food is enjoyed the best, when you know where it’s grown and who lovingly tended to it. Shangshangwung Huileng, who returned to Ukhrul from Chennai, started a cabbage farm.
Initially we got our cabbage from other states, but now Huileng has risen to the challenge and is trying to meet local needs with his amazing, organic cabbage. We see such a spark with our youth, to be self-sufficient and support the local economy,” Zeinorin says.
The collective has had some inventive collaborations too.
Dimapur-based jewelry and home-decor enterprise Runway Nagaland, as an illustration, has created hand-embroidered pouches for Taste Ukhrul.
The journey has not been straightforward, regardless of the success. “We took a big leap of faith during the lockdown and sunk our own resources at considerable risk. But I think it is paying off now.
We have brands based in Switzerland and across the USA who are buying from us,” Zeinorin says. She provides, “This augurs well for our farmers, who reap rich dividends, and these small partnerships form the base for future collaborations.”
