The Hills of Meghalaya Leave a “Foodprint” on the Kochi Coast
Food is more than sustenance; it is memory, culture, and identity plated for the world to taste. In India—a nation celebrated for its dizzying diversity of cuisines—food often serves as a bridge between distant communities. Nowhere is this more visible than in Kochi, Kerala’s bustling coastal city, where a chef from the faraway hills of Meghalaya is quietly rewriting culinary narratives.
A Journey from the Hills to the Coast
Chef Ahmedaki “Ahme” Laloo grew up in the verdant Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya, a region known for its misty landscapes, sacred groves, and an ancient food culture rooted in simplicity and local produce. For her, rice was not just food but tradition; bamboo and fermented ingredients were part of everyday meals; and hospitality was expressed in flavors both earthy and comforting.
Yet, life had other plans. After initially pursuing English literature, Ahme found herself pulled toward the culinary world, eventually enrolling in a program in Udupi, Karnataka. That transition opened her palate to the possibilities of coastal cuisine. In Udupi and later in Kochi, she learned to work with seafood, coconut, and the spice-laden dishes that are hallmarks of southern India. The coast began to reshape her culinary identity, but the hills never left her heart.
Bridging Two Worlds Through Food
In Kochi, Ahme launched her brand “A’Origins”, built on a mission to connect her northeastern heritage with her adopted coastal home. One of her most celebrated initiatives is “The Meghalaya Table”, a pop-up dining experience hosted at Brunton Boatyard, a colonial-era hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea.
At these events, food becomes both spectacle and storytelling. The tables are dressed with traditional northeastern weaves, bamboo baskets carry condiments, and staff often wear accessories that echo Khasi and Jaintia traditions. Diners are not only served dishes—they are immersed in a cultural experience designed to recreate the atmosphere of Meghalaya, thousands of kilometers from its hills.
Ahme sees food as a form of soft power, a way to build empathy and understanding across geographies. “Not everyone may know our language or history,” she has said, “but everyone understands food.”
Finding Common Ground on the Plate
For many, northeastern cuisine is unfamiliar territory, often associated only with momos, pork dishes, or spicy chutneys. But Ahme has discovered that the gap between the northeast and Kerala is not as wide as it appears.
Both regions share a deep reliance on rice as the staple grain. Both treasure indigenous produce and seasonal ingredients. Bananas, cashews, turmeric, and fresh greens feature prominently in the kitchens of Meghalaya and Kerala alike. Even in techniques—such as steaming, fermenting, or cooking in banana leaves—parallels emerge.
These similarities allow Ahme to present northeastern flavors in a way that feels approachable to the coastal palate, while still surprising diners with distinctive twists. A traditional Khasi pork preparation might find harmony alongside Kerala’s love for richly spiced meat curries; a delicate rice dish from the hills may echo the comfort of Kerala’s kanji.
Challenges and Experiments
Running a pop-up rooted in northeastern food in South India is not without hurdles. Ingredient sourcing remains one of the biggest challenges. Bamboo shoot, for example, is central to Khasi and Jaintia cuisines, but difficult to find fresh in Kerala markets. Similarly, certain fermented products central to Meghalaya’s cooking traditions are unfamiliar to local distributors.
To overcome this, Ahme experiments with substitutions, sometimes sourcing directly from Meghalaya, at other times innovating with Kerala ingredients to evoke similar flavor profiles. These creative adjustments not only ensure authenticity but also foster a dialogue between the two regions.
Food as a Cultural Ambassador
Ahme’s work is part of a larger trend in India where chefs are reclaiming indigenous food traditions and repositioning them in new contexts. Her pop-ups are more than meals; they are curated experiences that introduce diners to a part of India they may know little about. In doing so, she elevates Meghalaya’s cuisine from regional obscurity to a platform of national recognition.
For Kochi’s diners, the experience is eye-opening. Tasting Khasi rice dishes, Jaintia-style chutneys, or pork preparations offers not only new flavors but also an intimate glimpse into the culture of a community that often remains at the periphery of India’s mainstream food narrative.
Looking forward, Ahme envisions expanding her pop-up concept, deepening collaborations with chefs and cultural practitioners, and experimenting further with the fusion of coastal and hill cuisines. She dreams of creating a culinary identity that is both rooted in Meghalaya’s heritage and enriched by her coastal journey.
Her mission goes beyond feeding guests; it is about creating connections and reshaping perceptions. Each pop-up becomes an invitation to step into another world, to taste the hills on the coast, and to realize that India’s culinary map is not divided but interwoven.
The story of Chef Ahme Laloo is the story of India’s evolving foodscape—where migration, memory, and innovation collide. As she brings the flavors of Meghalaya to the shores of Kochi, she proves that food can be a powerful bridge, a cultural ambassador, and a timeless storyteller.
On her tables, the rice fields of the Khasi hills converse with the spice gardens of Kerala, and in that dialogue lies the essence of India itself: diverse, dynamic, and deliciously united.
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