Foodies gear up for Chinjak Fest in Manipur

Imphal, Oct 2 : The Chinjak Festival, 2010, a 10-day long event which promises to tickle the palates of foodies with a plethora of veg and non-veg dishes of various indigenous communities in the State, is set to be kicked off from October 29 at the ground of Chaoyaima Higher Secondary School in Thoubal district.

The food festival is to be organised by Innovative Youth Society, Imphal in association with Women Income Generation Centre, Thoubal and Peace and Freedom Academy, Thoubal.

To ensure the success of the festival, Board of Chinjak Festival, 2010 has been constituted.

Addressing a press conference in connection with the festival at Manipur Press Club here today afternoon, managing director of Board of Chinjak Festival, 2010 Kh Athouba informed that in all 35 stalls would be opened during the 10-day long food extravaganza to be held from October 27 to November 7 .

Popular food items and other delicacies associated with places and people like Kakching, Nambol, Bishnupur, Sekmai, Khurai, Kakwa, Maring, Tangkhul of Ukhrul, Keishamthong Kabui village, Hmar of Churachandpur, Anal tribe, Andro, Elangbam Leikai, Thangmeiband, Naharup, etc would be on display and sale at the festival, he disclosed.

He further informed that after this festival, an International Chinzak Festival is also being planned to be organised at Imphal in February, 2011 with main objective of encouraging preservation, promotion and production of indigenous food items not only of Manipur but also of the North East region.

In this festival, special stalls would also be put up for food items from South Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Korea so as to give a taste of these foods to the people of Manipur.

During the course of the festival, experts would also impart knowledge on increasing food production, food hygiene and proper packaging to attract people of from other States, Athouba added.