Massive Odisha Tribal Haat @ Baripada, Mayurbhanj I Red Ant + Moori Puffed Rice Market + Rice Beer

In this episode, we take you inside the Baripada Haat, a weekly marketplace where people from nearby villages come to sell their products-vegetables, meat, saplings, forest produce, everyday essentials, and sometimes just a small bundle of their harvest. A haat is not a formal market but a living space where trade, stories and traditions come together. And walking us through this lively setup is our host, Akash Mohanty, an ardent culinary explorer who knows the Baripada food landscape inside out. We begin at the lane where women mudhi sellers sit in rows. Many of them travel from distant villages with varieties such as mugei, kalachampa, chandini and more. We shared a humble meal of mudhi mixed with banana and green chilli, the lunch of a seller named Sabitri. Her simple meal opened a small window into the daily realities of these hardworking women. Further inside, we met a woman selling sal dankathi, sal leaves, fresh turmeric, mango ginger, harad and other seasonal produce. Opposite her was an elderly lady selling dried mussel shells, used traditionally to prepare lime paste for chewing with betel leaf or areca nut. We then stopped by a stall of elephant apples and local greens, where Akash explained their uses and shared a few anecdotes. Next to her sat another old woman selling red ants, known locally as kai or kurkuti. This is a valued delicacy of the region, consumed for its nutrition. The chutney made from these red ants has even received a GI tag. We tasted a few ants raw; they had an immediate sourness and a sharp bite. Our next halt was at a rice vendor’s stall displaying seven to eight varieties of local rice. Two native ones drew our attention: mugei, a parboiled rice, and pimpudi basa, an aromatic variety that is highly regarded in this region. After weaving through sections selling earthenware, wicker baskets, utensils, groceries, and stationeries, we reached a stall selling fermentation starter cakes used to prepare traditional rice beer, handia. This led us to the handia section, where people had gathered to relax. Akash took us to a clean and well-kept stall where large rounded vessels were filled with fermenting rice. We tried a bowl of handia and rassi and even shared it with a local, making the experience more intimate and memorable. Before ending the tour, we explored a few stalls of local vegetables and finally stopped at one selling sun-dried fish. The Baripada Haat offers a clear insight into the socio-cultural landscape of the region. Every stall reflects a slice of the community’s life, its food habits, and its resilience. Akash’s deep knowledge and thoughtful explanations helped us connect with the haat in a meaningful way, making this walk both informative and enriching.