Longpi Black Pot

Fashioned by the Tangkhul Naga tribe of Longpi (Loree) village in Manipur, the stone pot is ideal to slow cook meat. These are 100% biodegradable and microwave-safe; they can be used on the gas stove as well as firewood. No machines or electricity are used in the making process.

Longpi ham is made from a mixed paste of ground black serpentinite stone and a special brown clay. As claimed by the locals, the clay is native to only Longpi village. After the pots are shaped, polished and sun dried they are heated in a bonfire and thereafter polished with a special tree leaf locally called Chiron ni. The black color of Longpi ham is a result of polishing the heated earthen pots with the tree leaf. Pottery is the secondary occupation of the populace and is the main source of income for the artisans.