“Now, it’s time for the silkworms!” exclaimed Gitika Saikia to six eagerly waiting diners who had assembled at her bright Juhu apartment, also known as Gitika’s PakGhor, to partake in the Assamese Jungle Feast lunch pop-up. While we signed up for this pop-up through Trekurious to try the vegetarian fare — that she was serving after a long time (Rs 1,500 for veg, Rs 2,000 for non-veg) — the excitement in the room was infectious. Naturally, we too were eager to see what this dish looked like. And then, it arrived. Wrinkled brownish golden worms — in their pupae stage — stir fried with onion and garlic and served in a bowl without any fancy dressings, quite like a jungle feast. Feeling a bit like the daredevils from Fear Factor, put up to the task of snacking on creepy crawlies, we bit into the worms. It was delish. Crunchy with a probing salty aftertaste, the worms were flavoursome and the sautéed onions too, added to the taste.

Rebecca Ranee's Khasi pop-up features dishes with ingredients sourced from Shillong in Meghalaya. Pic/Nimesh Dave