Sukuti

A staple of the Limbu people of eastern Nepal, where it is called sakhekya, sukuti — its name from the Nepali root for "dried" — is a Himalayan preservation craft born of long winters and scarce fresh supply: an animal too large to eat at once was smoke-dried over the chulho hearth to keep for lean months. Now made across Nepal and the neighbouring Himalayan regions of India and Tibet, it is especially prized at festivals like Dashain and Tihar.

Concentrated, almost smoky-sweet meat that yields with a satisfying chew, deeply savoury from its slow cure. Fried up with chili and timur it turns hot and tangy, the dried fibres soaking up the bright dressing.

Removing fat and drawing out moisture by smoke and sun halts spoilage: once the meat's water activity drops below about 0.85, most spoilage and pathogenic bacteria can no longer grow, while the wood smoke deposits phenols such as guaiacol that both inhibit microbes and slow fats from going rancid. Drying also concentrates the meat's glutamates for deep umami. Rehydrating the fibres in the salad or stir-fry lets them re-absorb the acidic, spiced dressing — sadeko itself means to mix and work the dressing in by hand.