Meghalaya does not get nearly enough credit for its food. Everyone talks about the waterfalls, the living root bridges, and the cleanest village in Asia. Meanwhile, Meghalaya cuisine sits quietly in the background, doing things with smoked meat, fermented fish, and sticky rice that most travellers completely miss because they spend the whole trip eating Maggi at a dhaba.

The food of Meghalaya is tribal, earthy, and built around ingredients that the land and rivers actually provide. Jadoh, Tungrymbai, Doh Khlieh, Pumaloi—names that mean nothing until you try them, and everything after. Each dish carries the identity of the Khasi, Jaintia, or Garo community it comes from.

The best way to eat in Meghalaya is to eat where locals eat. Village homestays on Meghalaya group packages put you at the same table as the family cooking it, which is a different experience entirely from ordering off a tourist menu in Shillong.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes in Meghalaya

Meghalaya cuisine is built around smoked meat, fermented ingredients, and rice in forms most travellers have never encountered before. The food of Meghalaya comes from three distinct tribal communities — the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo — and each brings its own cooking traditions to the table.

Jadoh
The most iconic dish in Meghalaya cuisine. Red rice cooked with pork or chicken in a single pot with bay leaves, ginger, and onion. The rice takes on the fat and flavour of the meat as it cooks. Every Khasi household makes it differently. The village homestay version will always beat the restaurant one.

Doh Khlieh
A pork salad made with boiled pork, onion, green chillies, and black sesame. Served cold or at room temperature. Simple ingredients, sharp flavour. A staple at Khasi gatherings.

Tungrymbai
Fermented soybean paste cooked with pork fat and dried fish. The smell is strong. The taste is stronger. An acquired flavour for most first-time visitors but one that stays with you.

Pumaloi
Steamed rice powder cooked in an earthen pot. Soft, mild, and served alongside meat-based curries. The Khasi version of comfort food.

Doh Jem
Pork blood curry cooked with ginger, onion, and local spices. A genuine part of Khasi food tradition and worth trying at least once.

Minil Songa
Sticky rice steamed inside bamboo tubes. Common in Garo Hills. The bamboo gives the rice a subtle earthiness that no regular pot can replicate.

Nakham Bitchi
A thin soup made from dried fish. Light, pungent, and served as a digestive at the end of a meal in many Khasi homes. One of the more distinctive elements of the food of Meghalaya that most tourists never get to try.

Popular Street Food in Meghalaya

Meghalaya’s street food scene is most alive in Shillong, particularly around Police Bazar, Bara Bazar, and the evening markets that set up after 5 PM. Most of it is cheap, filling, and eaten standing up and it is one of the more underrated parts of any Meghalaya tour.

Pukhlein
Deep-fried rice flour and jaggery fritters. Crispy on the outside, slightly sweet inside. Sold by street vendors across Shillong and eaten as a morning snack with tea. One of the most common things you will see being made fresh on the roadside.

Momo
Shillong has some of the best momos in northeast India. Pork filling, thin skin, served with a sharp local chilli sauce. The street stalls around Police Bazar stay busy through the evening.

Putharo
Steamed rice cakes made from fermented rice batter. Soft, slightly sour, and usually eaten for breakfast with tea or a light chutney. A quieter option compared to the fried snacks but just as popular locally.

Bamboo Shoot Snacks
Sliced and lightly spiced bamboo shoots sold at market stalls. Eaten on their own or as a side. The flavour is earthy and slightly sour from fermentation.

Chutneys and Dips
Worth trying at any street stall — local chutneys made from dried fish, fermented ingredients, or green chillies. They accompany most street snacks and are a strong introduction to the sharper flavours of Meghalaya street food.

Popular Desserts and Beverages

Meghalaya dishes lean heavily towards meat and rice, but the sweeter side of the food in Meghalaya is worth knowing before your trip.

Desserts

Pukhlein
The most common sweet in Meghalaya. Deep-fried rice flour and jaggery discs, crispy outside and dense inside. Sold at street stalls and made at home during festivals. Simple and genuinely addictive.

Mal
A traditional sweet rice cake made during festivals and community gatherings. Soft, mildly sweet, and usually prepared in large batches for celebrations. Not easy to find outside of local homes and village markets.

Kpu
Steamed sticky rice mixed with sesame and local sweeteners. Common in Garo Hills households. A straightforward sweet that works as a snack or a light dessert after a meal.

Beverages

Kyat
A locally brewed rice beer found across Khasi and Jaintia communities. Mildly fermented, slightly sweet, and served in bamboo cups or clay vessels at homestays and village gatherings. The version made at home is always stronger than what gets served to tourists.

Chubitchi
A Garo rice wine with a sharper fermentation than Kyat. Stronger in flavour and alcohol content. Served at Garo festivals and community events.

Turmeric Tea
Found in homestays across the Khasi Hills. Hot water steeped with fresh turmeric, ginger, and local honey. A standard morning drink that works well at altitude after a cold night.

Best Places to Experience Authentic Meghalaya Cuisine

The best Meghalaya delicacies are not found in hotel restaurants. They are found in markets, village homes, and small eateries that have been cooking the same dishes for generations.

Police Bazar, Shillong
The most accessible starting point for first-time visitors. Street stalls here serve Jadoh, momos, Pukhlein, and bamboo shoot snacks through the day and into the evening. The lunch hour stalls are the busiest and the freshest.

Bara Bazar, Shillong
The oldest market in the city and the best place to find raw ingredients that define Meghalaya dishes — dried fish, fermented soybean, smoked pork, and local rice varieties. Not a restaurant destination but essential for understanding what goes into the food.

Iewduh Market, Shillong
One of the largest markets in northeast India. Local vendors sell prepared food alongside produce. The smoked meat section alone is worth the visit.

Village Homestays in Cherrapunji and Mawlynnong
The most authentic setting for a full Khasi meal. Homestay hosts cook what their families eat — Jadoh, Doh Khlieh, Tungrymbai, and Nakham Bitchi served together as a proper spread. No menu, no substitutions, and no better version exists anywhere in the state.

Jowai, Jaintia Hills
The food in Jowai reflects Jaintia cooking traditions that differ from Khasi cuisine. Local eateries here serve dishes that most travellers on standard itineraries never reach.

Tura, Garo Hills
The gateway to Garo food culture. Minil Songa, Chubitchi, and Garo-style pork preparations are found at local dhabas and market stalls throughout the town.

Dining Tips for Eating in Meghalaya

Most local eateries open early and close by 7 PM. Do not plan a late dinner outside of Shillong.

Meghalaya cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian. Vegetarian options exist in Shillong but become harder to find in smaller towns and villages.

Pork is the default meat across most Meghalaya dishes. If you do not eat pork, ask specifically before ordering.

Homestay meals are almost always included in the stay cost. Confirm this at check-in to avoid paying twice.

Sunday is a rest day across most of Meghalaya. Restaurants, market stalls, and local dhabas in smaller towns stay shut. Stock up on snacks the night before if you are travelling on a Sunday.

Fermented ingredients are common across many Meghalaya delicacies. Tungrymbai, Nakham Bitchi, and bamboo shoot preparations all have strong, sharp flavours. Try a small portion before committing to a full serving.

Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere in Meghalaya. Carry a reusable bottle and refill with filtered or packaged water.

Bargaining at street stalls is not common practice here. Prices are generally fixed and low to begin with.

If you are eating at a village homestay, tell your host about dietary restrictions the evening before. Most hosts will adjust the meal if given enough notice.

Cash is the only payment option at most local eateries and market stalls outside Shillong.