March 23, 2025: The traditional fermented soybean food known as ‘Hawaijar’ in Manipur is as popular as ‘Natto’ in Japan, both in taste and nutritional qualities. Both utilize Bacillus subtilis bacteria for fermentation and offer numerous health benefits.
In Japan, a standard pack of ‘Natto’ with 100 grams costs 200 JPY (Japanese Yen), which is around Rs 115. Japan has many manufacturers, and ‘Kamakurayama Natto’ is considered a popular one. High-quality ‘Natto’ from Japan is imported to various countries like South Korea, where the affluent class in Seoul can be seen consuming it with great flavor, especially in K-Dramas.
Interestingly, Manipur now has a ‘Mechanized Hawaijar Making Machine’, which was inaugurated and showcased today to Manipur Governor AK Bhalla during his maiden visit to the Food Processing Pilot Plant of the College of Food Technology, Lamphelpat.
The ‘Hawaijar Maker’ can process 7 to 10 kg per batch, and the product is developed by ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana, in collaboration with the College of Food Technology (CoFT), Manipur, and funded by DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Now, high-quality ‘Hawaijar’ will work its magic to satisfy your taste buds, whether in ‘Chagempomba’ or ‘Paan Thongba’ (Taro with Hawaijar), or simply paired with Hangaam (Mustard) or mixed with U-Morok (King Chilli).
