''Akhuni'' ( Nagamese: ), also known as ''axone'', is a fermented

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu ...

product commonly used in

Naga cuisine Naga cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Naga people of Nagaland, India. It features meats and fish, which are often smoked, dried or fermented। Overview The various Naga people have their own cuisines, but often exchange recipes. A ...

. ''Axone'' is perhaps the most commonly used fermented product of

Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the ...

and the North Eastern Region of India.

Etymology

The word ''Axone'' is from Sümi dialect, and is a combination of two words ''Axo-ne'', ''Axo'' means "aroma" or "smell" and the word ''ne'' or ''nhe'' (similar word "tho") means "deep" or "strong". So it can be literally translated as "deep Smell" or "strong smell".

Consumption

It is prepared year-round from soybeans by people of all tribes, but most notably the

Sümi Naga The Sümi Naga also known as Sema Naga are a major Naga ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland. The Sümis mainly inhabit Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District although many have spread and are now living ...

s of Nagaland. Soybeans grow at an altitude of 1,500 m and in rainy conditions, making them well suited for the Naga hills. They are also a protein-rich legume and traditionally protein-sparse diet. ''Axone'' is prepared by rinsing picked soybeans in freshwater, and then boiling them until they are soft, but still whole. The excess water is drained and the soybeans are placed into a pot or degchi and left either out in the sun or next to the fire to let them ferment. This takes three to four days to ferment in summer and around one week in winter. As with the majority of fermented products in Nagaland, it is considered to be ready when it “smells right”. The soybeans are then placed in a wooden pestle and mashed with a mortar. They are not mashed completely but instead crushed as you would with garlic. A handful is then scooped up and placed in the center of a banana leaf, its edges closed to make a parcel. The package is sold or stored next to the fire and can be used immediately or kept for some weeks, darkening in color each day. Akhuni fermentation results in

proteolysis Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Uncatalysed, the hydrolysis of peptide bonds is extremely slow, taking hundreds of years. Proteolysis is typically catalysed by cellular enzymes called protease ...

giving it a distinctive

umami Umami ( from ja, 旨味 ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It has been described as savory and is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and ...

taste. ''Axone'' is then used in a huge variety of dishes. Two examples are fire-smoked pork and ''axone'' & ''nula'' (snails with ''axone'').

In popular culture

A 2019 Indian

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

/English film titled '' Axone'', directed by Nicholas Kharkongor, deals with a day in life of a group of friends getting ready for a wedding and cooking Axone dish in a Delhi neighborhood which does not allow them to cook axone because of its strong smell.

Similar dishes

It is quite similar to Japanese

nattō , spelled as natto in standard English language use, is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented with ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. It is served wi ...

, piak of

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It share ...

, Nepali

kinema ''Kinema'' () is a fermented soybean food, prepared by the Nepali communities of the Eastern Himalayas region: Eastern Nepal, and Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim regions of India. Kinema is a traditional food of the Limbu people, as well as peo ...

, ''

tungrymbai Tungrymbai or tung rymbái or "tungtoh" is a fermented soybean food traditionally prepared by the Khasi and Jaiñtia peoples of Meghalaya, Northeast India. Production The soybeans are washed then boiled until they are soft. After boiling, the ...

'' of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jai ...

, ''hawaijaar'' of

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...

and ''bekang um'' of

Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...

References

* https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/axone-fermented-soybeans/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20160409184146/http://nagenvis.nic.in/Database/NagaFood_933.aspx Naga cuisine Northeast Indian cuisine Fermented soy-based foods {{India-cuisine-stub