India being the home to the largest indigenous people is more diversified with its varied traditions and cultures. Food is one of the major means of retaining cultural identity besides providing physical nourishment to our bodies. A traditional food system is used to identify all food within a particular culture available from local natural resources and culturally accepted. And the way of procuring such essential nutrients which are needed to maintain life and growth requires speckled skills and creativity which again varies on a community basis. Food acceptance, avoidance, way of collection or gathering, combinations, portion size, and above all, eating of the food is done according to learned behaviours. Indigenous people abide by these traditional practices to maintain their group’s individuality. The pattern of such cuisine depends on livelihood strategy which again showcases more creativity and skills of tribal people. Strategical use of equipment and traps can bring them a fortune to hunt big games. Some other art of existence that may help to overcome an extreme situation, once more cabinets the skills of indigenous people. The indigenous peoples of West Bengal abide by these traditional practices to maintain their group’s individuality. Their food systems are defined as being composed of items from the local, natural, and culturally accepted items. Their daily dietary pattern, including normative aspects (daily food), festive affairs i.e., ceremonial food and way of the collection, and the preparation and consumption of their fermented beverages involve complex networks of individual bonds, collective management of resources, and group decisions. But such strong tribal culture and cuisine are under threat from the settled lifestyle and junk food revolution. Thus, there is an urgent need to preserve and promote such traditional culinary art and imbibe a sense of pride in their own delectable dishes.
