If you have tasted Northeastern delicacies or even Bhutanese specialties, you would know what spices like Sichuan pepper or Timur mean for the locals. A similar, traditional Himalayan spice known as Khagi, too, has emerged as a community-led livelihood and forest conservation model in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng district, benefiting more than 200 households and generating a turnover of Rs 39 lakh.

What is Khagi, that Arunachal Pradesh is generating a huge turnover with?

Khagi, a species of Zanthoxylum commonly associated with Sichuan pepper or Timur, was traditionally used by indigenous communities as a spice and condiment. More than 10 tonnes of the produce had been sustainably harvested and marketed, as shared by the Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein in a social media post.

The initiative centred on community-conserved forests, where indigenous communities collectively managed forest resources and organised harvesting, aggregation and marketing. The effort helped generate income while protecting more than 100 sq km of forest.

What is Khagi and how is the spice used?

The people in Arunachal Pradesh uses khagi, uses it as a traditional food seasoning, a component in indigenous medicine, and a driver for community-led forest conservation.

Indigenous tribal homes use khagi's dried fruits to add a citrusy, tongue-tingling, and slightly numbing flavour to meat curries, chutneys, and millet dishes. 

Local communities also utilise the plant's bark, fruits, and seeds in traditional healing practices. Khagi is largely collected from the wild and is found particularly along forest edges and in open forests around agricultural areas. Researchers have highlighted its economic potential while stressing the need for sustainable management of the spice’s natural habitats.

Currently, in the West Kameng district (such as the Mandala-Phudung-Khellong Community Conserved Areas), local families collectively harvest more than 10 tonnes of the spice. Organised marketing and sales through groups like WWF-India and corporate partners have generated over INR 39 lakh in revenue for more than 200 local households. 

Quite notably, a portion of the earnings directly funds forest patrols, wildlife monitoring, and conservation of over 100 square kilometers of community-managed forests.

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