Traditional manipuri cuisine and prospects of promoting medicinal plant-based food tourism in post-COVID-19

ABSTRACT

In the Post-COVID-19 pandemic, tourists are more health-conscious and look for healthy food during their travel. Food prepared with medicinal plants can be promoted as a tourist product with the competitive advantage of having medicinal properties in the food. From ancient times, Manipuri people have used medicinal plants in their daily food as a food culture of the place. Medicinal plant-based food tourism (MPBFT) can be promoted as a tourism product that can meet the need of post-COVID-19 tourists by offering healthy food with medicinal values and a unique travel experience in Manipur, Northeast India. The main objective of this study is to explore the prospects of promoting MPBFT and focus on identifying the strategies to develop MPBFT in Manipur as a tourism product. This review paper identifies medicinal plants utilized in Manipuri traditional cuisines imparting their medicinal properties. Cultivating medicinal plants, training local communities, organizing educational tours, food festivals, conducting cooking classes, and establishing restaurants focused on Manipuri traditional food with medicinal plants are the strategies to promote Manipur as an MPBFT destination.