Premium Stall No. 15 called “Your Choice” in the ongoing Sangai festival is now the peoples’ choice. Reason, the stall deals with packaged indigenous food items. Both domestic tourists as well as the locals visiting the Manipur’s biggest extravaganza did not come out of the stall without buying at least a single item from the stall. Proprietor of the stall Thoidingjam Baleshwar, said that people are happy to find the rare indigenous food item in package form. He said around 30 plus food items, all indigenous are available in his stall. Mustard Oil of Kakching is also an impressive item of this stall. The high quality oil manufactures at Kakching area are available at Rs 140 per Kg, much cheaper than the Engine oil or Dhara oil. “So far around 400 bottles containing 1 litre of Kaching Mustard oil has been sold on the second day of the festival. Other items in demand are dry Ngamu Leirou, Ngari, Soibum, Sougri, Soidon, Bamol Leikai Bori etc. One advantage of Your Choice variety is that all the items can be stored for at least one or two months. That means people living outside the state or country can also now enjoy food habit of their motherland.
Dr. RK Nimai, consultant to the government of Manipur, while inaugurating the stall on the day Sangai Festival was kicked off stated that the effort of Thoidingjam Baleshwar will now popularize the already popular food items of the state among the tourist.
Th. Baleshwar proprietor of the ‘Your Choice’ stall said that his mission is to help the farmers who produced the food variety of the state. Often the farmers of the state are discourage as there is complete lack of market area. “I will market all the indigenous products of the state so that all farmers get their share of profit Baleshwar added.