Dalle Chilli with Bamboo Shoot Pickle, 200g

Heat level: 6/10 (medium-hot)

Young bamboo shoot and Dalle chilli are pickled together in many Northeast households. The bamboo is sour and crunchy, and it tempers the heat of the chilli. Of the Dalle pickles, this one suits people new to the flavour.

Serving: with rice and dal, momos, or roti and sabzi.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place and use a dry spoon.

Heat level: 7/10 (hot)

Whole Dalle chillies are cooked with traditional ground spices. It has more spice than the plain Dalle pickle.

Best before: 18 months from manufacture.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place and use a dry spoon.

Heat level: 9/10 (very hot)

King Chilli, also called Raja Mircha or Bhut Jolokia, comes from Nagaland. It measures over a million Scoville units, which places it among the hottest chillies in the world. NE Origins sources it from Nagaland.

The aroma is smoky and fruity. The heat builds slowly and lasts. A small amount is enough.

Serving: a pea-sized amount with dal and rice, momos, eggs or grilled meat. A spoonful can also go into a curry.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place and use a dry spoon.

Marmalade made from Sikkim oranges. The peel gives it a slight bitterness against the sweetness.

Serving: at breakfast, or as a glaze for chicken or pork.

Storage: Refrigerate after opening.

This jam is made in Sikkim from kiwis. It is tart, and the seeds give it some crunch.

Serving: on toast, in yoghurt or with cheese.

Storage: Refrigerate after opening.

Heat level: 6/10 (medium-hot)

Kinema is fermented soybean from the eastern Himalaya, known as Axone in Nagaland. It is pungent and savoury. Here it is mixed with fresh Dalle chilli and ground spices.

Serving: with plain rice, or stirred into a pork or vegetable curry.

Best before: 8 months from manufacture.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place and use a dry spoon.