King Chilli Pickle (Bhut Jolokia), 200g

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.

Related reading: How to eat King Chilli pickle; King Chilli and Dalle Khursani compared; Which Northeast pickle to try first; How to store pickles.

Heat level: 7/10 (hot)

Dalle Khursani is a small, round, red chilli grown in the hills of Sikkim. It is eaten with most meals in Sikkimese homes. Its heat is sharp, with a fruity smell that green chilli lacks.

Serving: in Sikkim it is eaten one chilli at a time with rice. Chopped, it also suits chutneys, thukpa and pakoras.

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

Related reading: Dalle Khursani: Sikkim's round chilli; 7 ways to eat Dalle chilli pickle; How to store pickles.

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.

Related reading: Forms of bamboo shoot in Northeast India; 7 ways to eat Dalle chilli pickle; How to store pickles.

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.

Related reading: What is Kinema?; Kinema and Axone: fermented soybean in the Himalaya; Which Northeast pickle to try first; How to store pickles.

Heat level: 8/10 (very hot)

Whole Dalle Khursani chillies from Sikkim, pickled with salt, mustard oil and acetic acid, the acid that gives vinegar its sourness. There are no added spices, so the flavour of the chilli comes through clearly, with a sour edge.

Serving: slice a chilli into noodles, fried rice or soup. The pickling liquid works as a hot sauce.

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

Related reading: Dalle Khursani: Sikkim's round chilli; King Chilli and Dalle Khursani compared; How to store pickles.

Putka ko maha is made by small stingless bees that feed on wildflowers in Northeast valleys. Each colony produces little honey, which is why it is sold in small jars.

It is thinner than common honey and has a sour-sweet taste.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place.

Related reading: What stingless-bee honey is; Types of honey eaten in Northeast India.