| Description |
Solo Tshung-nang is one of the special gifts offered to guests along with a bottle of wine (normally ara-locally brewed alcohol), for family members, weeding ceremonies, and also to any guest during special occasions. Solo Tsungma is locally prepared from either dried or fresh chili peppers – preferably dried chili powdered and mixed with Nam black sesame seeds, pumpkin seed and other delicacies neatly wrapped in particular leaves such as; Laga wild banana leaf, Chong-shing laga fig leaf and other specific wild leaf which have broad in width. Amongst these wrapping leaves, laga is preferred and widely used. The practice of making and offering Solo Tshung-ma is active and a popular gift in the villages within Decheling, Norbugang and Choekhorling gewogs (block) under Pemagatshel Dzongkhag (district).
Prerequisite ingredients and materials:
- Laga: wild banana leaf (preferred), Chong-shing laga fig leaf, Mong-nang laga, lau laga, and other wild leaves as wrappers.
- Kudpa ney-nga: Five coloured thread (preferred) or fiber of any other tree such as Soga do (bamboo thread) and Phrang three bark fiber etc.
- Locally grown and dried chili
- Nam: black sesame seeds are one of the most important ingredients for preparing the pickle thus calling it nam-solo or sesame pickle.
- Brum-sha lung: pumpkin seed
- Nam-jor: similar to sesame
- Tsha: salt
Types of Solo Tshung-nang:
- Nam solo (chili and sesame mixed pickle)
- Nam-jor Solo (chili and white sesame mixed pickle)
- Brumsha lung Solo (chili and pumpkin seed mixed pickle)
- Chur Solo (chili and fresh cheese pickle) note this kind cannot be preserved but is also offered as gift.
When offering Solo Tshung-nang it is always offered along with local wine ara, or ara dama, which is raw or un-brewed wine. It is popular to fill a So-palag traditional bamboo container with ara as an appetizer locally called Kam-tang where first the ara is offered followed by Solo Tshung nang. When given as an appetizer, it is traditional that you must offer the tshung nang with a knot concealed underneath. |
| Social and cultural significance |
Offered as present, gift, or appetizer during the social gathering, it is considered a special cuisine. This traditional cuisine seems active and vibrant as people within the community and often attend various social gathering and preparing it as a gift. |
| Transmission method |
Preparation:
- Dired chili approximately 5-7cm in length and 10mm across. These are considered one of the hottest chilies grown in Bhutan. Red dried chilly are prepared.
- Sesame seed are harvested, cleared, dried and heated.
- Similarly, pumpkin seed are extracted; washed, dried and heated in a frying pan to make crunchy to process into a powder easily.
- The dried chili, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and salt are mixed together using Lu (traditional stone mortar) and Nye-shing (pestle), these ingredients are crushed into powder. Only dried ingredients are used. Traditional recipes warn against making additions like cheese, tomato, onion and coriander are not used. It is said that, since these ingredients are fresh; it rots easily, making the pickle lose the special taste of pickle. Thus, the Solo Tshung-nang can be preserved for longer duration without losing its taste.
- Crushing into powder each offering packet will approximately weight 2500 grams.
- The laga; wild banana leaf slashed from the stem, each laga leaf will be approximately 15-20 cm.
- The mixed powdered pickle is put in the middle of the leaf and rolled, making the end at the one side.
- Solo Chomey, packaging or folding the pickle: Folded from the either side of the scroll making it a rectangular shape. Note, there is no specific direction of folding. However, the edge of the fold has to be at the end of the side.
- Solo Chom nang thigpey, binding the packet: with Kudpa neynga five colored thread, Soga do or Phrang. The packet should be fastened with a single thread from four sides and making knot right in the middle, there is no specific direction of binding.
The ingredients are easily available from their field, and preparation of Solo Tshung nang seems simple as well as packaging leaf and fastening. However, younger generations’ time is consumed with their education and they have fewer opportunities for community congregation, farming activities, and learning to prepare Solo Tshung nang, which is a barrier for the sustainability of this cultural element.
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| Community |
Practiced in all the villages under Nganglam and Samdrup Chholing Dungkhag (sub-district) under Pemagatshel and Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag (districts).
Data collected by: M. Yeshi Lhendup, NLAB |
