Taste Ukhrul brings the best Manipur’s natural bounty

Leiyolan Vashum and Zeinorin Angkang are bringing the rich natural produce of Manipur’s Ukhrul province to food lovers in various Indian cities, through e-commerce

Ukhrul, in Manipur, populated by the indigenous Tangkhul tribe, is a land is nestled in nature’s bounty, steeped in ancient tradition and buoyed by a modern outlook. Leiyolan Vashum and Zeinorin Angkang of Ukhrul tell the story of their people, through their rich produce. The couple, with a background in Management and Communication Studies, started Hill Wild in the winter of 2017. The business became popular for its confections infused with local produce, but took a detour in 2020. “With the arrival of the pandemic, everything came to a grinding halt,” explains Zeinorin, as she juggles online orders and social media updates. What the company stumbled upon as a predicament last year, soon transformed into an opportunity. “On one hand, access to produce was limited, while on the other, plentiful harvest could not make it to consumers on time. So we launched Taste Ukhrul, a brand that would bring artisanal produce from the region to the rest of the country, and create a network for farmers to sell their harvest,” Zeinorin says.