Axone: Nagaland’s Fermented Soybean, Dishes and Uses Explained

Axone (pronounced roughly “a-khoo-nee” and also spelt akhuni) is a fermented soybean product from Nagaland, most closely linked with the Sumi Naga community. Cooks boil soybeans, wrap them in leaves and let them ferment near the hearth for about three days to a week. The result is a pungent, umami-rich paste or dried cake that flavours pork, chutneys and vegetables across Naga kitchens.

The name comes from the Sumi language, where “axo” means smell and “ne” means strong or deep. Consequently, the name itself warns you about the aroma. It belongs to a wider family of fermented soybean foods found across the Eastern Himalaya, from kinema in Sikkim to hawaijar in Manipur. It also gave its name to a 2019 Hindi film about Northeast Indian migrants in Delhi.

Key takeaways

• The ingredient is boiled soybean fermented in leaves, usually for about 3 to 7 days, depending on the season and method.
• It comes in two main forms: a soft paste and dried, smoked cakes that keep for months.
• The best-known dish is smoked pork cooked with axone, eaten with steamed rice.
• Research on similar soybean ferments finds Bacillus bacteria and high plant protein, but medical claims remain unproven.
• The film Axone (2019), directed by Nicholas Kharkongor, released on Netflix on 12 June 2020.

Axone at a glance

Detail	Information
What it is	Naturally fermented soybean
Home state	Nagaland
Community most linked	Sumi (Sema) Naga
Other spellings	Akhuni, akhone, aakhone
Meaning of name	“Strong smell” in the Sumi language
Main ingredient	Soybeans, boiled until soft
Wrapping	Banana or other local leaves
Fermentation	About 3 to 7 days, near a fire or in a warm spot
Forms	Fresh paste; dried or smoked cakes
Signature dish	Smoked pork with fermented soybean
Related foods	Kinema, hawaijar, tungrymbai, bekang, peruyaan

What axone means and where it comes from

Axone is a Sumi Naga word, and the Sumi heartland lies around Zunheboto district in central Nagaland. However, the ingredient long ago spread beyond one tribe. Today, cooks across Nagaland use it, and Naga communities in neighbouring Manipur and Myanmar prepare similar versions.

Many Naga families treat it as a pantry staple rather than a speciality. It works like a seasoning, much as fish sauce or miso does in other Asian kitchens. Furthermore, fermentation historically helped hill households preserve protein through lean months without refrigeration.

Nagaland is one of the Seven Sisters of India, and each of these states has its own fermented foods. Therefore, this ferment is best understood as one expression of a regional food culture, not a one-off curiosity.

How axone is made

Traditional methods vary between villages and families. Nevertheless, published food-science studies and home cooks describe the same basic sequence.

1. Wash and soak the soybeans, then boil them until soft but still whole.
2. Drain off the excess water while the beans are warm.
3. Pack the beans in a leaf-lined bamboo basket or pot, or wrap them in leaf parcels.
4. Keep them near the hearth or in another warm place to ferment.
5. Crush or pound the fermented beans lightly into a coarse paste.
6. Use the paste fresh, or shape it into cakes and dry or smoke them above the fire.

A 2018 study by Bendangnaro Jamir and Chitta Ranjan Deb described a two-stage process. The beans fermented for three to four days in a basket, then another three to four days in banana leaves. In contrast, other accounts describe a single stage of about three to four days in summer and around a week in winter.

Stage	Typical duration	Purpose
Soaking and boiling	A few hours	Softens beans and kills many surface microbes
First fermentation	About 3 to 4 days	Bacteria break down protein and build aroma
Wrapping in leaves	About 3 to 4 more days in some methods	Deepens flavour and texture
Drying or smoking	Several days above the hearth	Extends shelf life to months

Warmth drives the process. As a result, fermentation runs faster in summer and slower in the cold months.

Leaves used for wrapping

Banana leaves are the most common wrapping today. Additionally, food scientist Jyoti Prakash Tamang’s review of Indian soybean ferments lists local leaves such as Phrynium and Macaranga for aakhone. Some home recipes mention other broad forest leaves as well. The leaves hold heat and moisture, and they may also carry some of the starter microbes.

Axone paste and dried cakes

The ferment comes in two broad forms. Each suits different dishes and storage needs.

Form	Texture	Shelf life	Best used for
Fresh paste	Soft, sticky, partly crushed beans	About a week unless refrigerated	Chutneys, quick stir-fries, stews
Dried or smoked cake	Firm, darker, smoky	Several months if kept dry	Slow-cooked pork, winter cooking, travel
Commercial dried pack	Crumbled or powdered	Follow the pack date	Cooks outside Nagaland

Cooks usually soak or crumble dried cakes before adding them to a pot. Meanwhile, the fresh paste goes straight into a dish. Moreover, smoked cakes add a second layer of flavour, since smoke is itself a central note of Naga cooking.

What axone smells and tastes like

The smell is the first thing most people notice. Newcomers often compare it with strong cheese or dried fish, and the aroma clings to clothes and curtains. Consequently, it divides opinion more than almost any other Indian ingredient.

The taste, however, is milder than the smell suggests. Fermentation breaks proteins into amino acids, which gives the paste a savoury, umami depth. Similarly, Japanese natto and Nepali kinema share this nutty, earthy character. Once cooked with pork fat, chilli and ginger, the aroma softens and blends into the dish.

Classic axone dishes

Naga cooking uses few spices, relying instead on chilli, ginger, garlic, bamboo shoot and fermented ingredients. The soybean paste fits that approach perfectly.

Dish	Main ingredients	Role of the ferment
Smoked pork with axone	Smoked pork, fermented soybean, chilli, ginger, garlic	Simmered into a thick, savoury gravy
Soybean chutney	Fermented soybean, raja mircha or other chillies, tomato, salt	Pounded or cooked into a relish
Pork with bamboo shoot	Pork, fermented bamboo shoot, soybean paste	Two ferments layered together
Greens with soybean paste	Mustard greens, beans, potato or yam	Adds depth to simple boiled greens
Snails with soybean paste	River snails, fermented soybean, chilli	A traditional village preparation

Smoked pork with axone

This is the signature preparation. Cooks brown pieces of smoked pork, then add ginger, garlic and chillies. Next, they stir in the paste and a little water and simmer until the fat renders. The dish goes with plain steamed rice and a side of boiled greens.

Axone chutney

A simple chutney shows the ingredient at its most direct. Cooks roast tomatoes and chillies, then pound them with the fermented beans and salt. Additionally, some add roasted ginger or local herbs. It is eaten in small amounts alongside rice and meat.

Is axone healthy? What research says

Soybeans are rich in plant protein, and fermentation changes them in useful ways. The Jamir and Deb study reported protein of about 42 g per 100 g on a dry basis. It also found that the pH rose from about 6.8 to 8.0, which is typical of alkaline Bacillus ferments.

Researchers identified mainly Bacillus species, including Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. Tamang’s review likewise describes these soybean ferments as an inexpensive source of digestible plant protein. Furthermore, studies on related foods such as kinema report antioxidant activity and higher levels of some B vitamins after fermentation.

Treat health claims with caution. This is a traditional food, not a medicine. Lab studies do not prove that eating it treats or prevents any disease, and the same research has also found some bacteria of concern in samples.

Hygiene therefore matters. Home fermentation relies on wild microbes, so clean utensils, fresh beans and proper cooking reduce risk. Meanwhile, people with soy allergies should avoid it entirely. Anyone with a specific health concern should ask a doctor or dietitian before changing their diet.

Axone and other fermented soybean foods of Northeast India

Fermented soybean appears across the Eastern Himalaya, and each community has its own name and method. The table below draws on Tamang’s comparative review of Indian soybean ferments.

Food	State	Community	Wrapping	Fermentation	Typical use
Axone (akhuni)	Nagaland	Sumi Naga and others	Banana or local leaves	About 5 to 7 days	Pork dishes, chutney, dried cakes
Hawaijar	Manipur	Meitei	Fig or banana leaves	About 3 to 5 days	Chagempomba and relishes
Tungrymbai	Meghalaya	Khasi and Garo	Lamet or banana leaves	About 3 to 5 days	Thick curry with sesame
Bekang	Mizoram	Mizo	Local leaves	About 3 to 4 days	Curry with chilli and tomato
Kinema	Sikkim and Darjeeling hills	Nepali and Limboo	Fern or fig leaves	About 1 to 3 days	Fried curry with rice
Peruyaan	Arunachal Pradesh	Apatani	Ginger leaves	About 3 to 5 days	Mixed with chilli and salt

These foods share a basic method, yet their flavours differ. For instance, kinema ferments for the shortest time, while the Naga version is often dried or smoked for storage. In contrast, tungrymbai usually goes into a curry with sesame. Festival food stalls are a good place to compare them; Meghalaya’s Wangala Festival and the Hornbill Festival both showcase local cooking.

The 2019 film Axone

The fermented soybean became a screen star in Axone (2019), a Hindi-English comedy-drama by Nicholas Kharkongor. The director is part Naga and part Khasi, and he has said some incidents in the film draw on his own experiences. Yoodlee Films produced it.

The story follows a group of friends from the Northeast in Humayunpur, a South Delhi neighbourhood. They try to cook a pungent smoked pork dish for a friend’s wedding. However, the smell triggers conflict with their landlord and neighbours. As a result, the film uses a single dish to explore racism, belonging and friendship.

Detail	Information
Director	Nicholas Kharkongor
Producer	Yoodlee Films
Main cast	Sayani Gupta, Lin Laishram, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Adil Hussain
Festival screenings	London Film Festival and MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, October 2019
Streaming release	Netflix, 12 June 2020
Setting	Humayunpur, South Delhi

The film brought the ingredient to a national audience. Moreover, it started wider conversations about how migrants from the Northeast are treated in Indian cities.

Buying and storing axone

Inside Nagaland, local markets in Kohima, Dimapur and Zunheboto sell it in leaf parcels or dried cakes. Outside the state, Northeast grocery shops in Delhi, Bengaluru and other metros often stock it. Additionally, several online stores sell small dried packs at modest prices.

Tip	What to do
Choose the form	Buy dried cakes if you will store it; buy paste to cook within days
Check the smell	A strong, earthy smell is normal; a sour, rotten or mouldy smell is not
Seal it well	Double-bag it, then use an airtight jar
Refrigerate paste	Keep fresh paste cold and use it within about a week
Keep cakes dry	Store dried cakes in a cool, dry place away from moisture
Freeze portions	Freezing small portions is a common home practice

Always follow the storage instructions and date on commercial packs. Furthermore, discard any batch with fuzzy mould or a sharply off smell.

Cooking axone in shared spaces

Cooking this ingredient has a real social side, as the film shows. The aroma travels through corridors and clings to walls. Therefore, a little planning helps you enjoy the dish without friction.

• Tell neighbours or flatmates before you cook, especially in a shared building.
• Open windows and run an exhaust fan while the pot simmers.
• Keep the lid on and cook in one session instead of reheating often.
• Seal leftovers in airtight boxes before they go into a shared fridge.
• Never ban or mock someone’s food. Respect runs both ways.

Hotels and homestays usually prefer that guests do not cook strong-smelling food in rooms. Similarly, airlines and trains may object to unsealed packs. Pack it in several sealed layers if you carry it home.

Where to taste axone in Nagaland

Local restaurants and homestays in Kohima and Dimapur serve pork with fermented soybean. The easiest introduction, however, is the Hornbill Festival, where food stalls serve smoked pork, bamboo-shoot dishes and axone. The festival runs from 1 to 10 December at Kisama; our Hornbill Festival guide covers dates and tickets.

Each tribe’s morung at the venue offers its own dishes. Consequently, it is a good place to compare how different Naga communities cook. Read our Kisama Heritage Village guide for the layout. Indian visitors from other states also need a permit to enter Nagaland, so apply early for the Nagaland ILP, which costs ₹200 for 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

What is axone made from?

Axone is made from soybeans and nothing else in its basic form. Cooks soak and boil the beans, drain them and let them ferment in leaves near a fire for several days. Natural bacteria, mainly Bacillus species, drive the fermentation. The beans are then lightly crushed into a paste, or shaped into cakes and dried or smoked.

Why does axone smell so strong?

During fermentation, bacteria break down soybean proteins into amino acids and ammonia-like compounds. These create the sharp, earthy aroma. The Sumi name itself roughly means “strong smell”. The smell is stronger than the taste, and it softens a great deal once the paste is cooked with pork fat, ginger, garlic and chilli.

Which tribe is axone associated with?

Axone is most closely associated with the Sumi (Sema) Naga people, whose heartland is around Zunheboto district in central Nagaland. The word comes from the Sumi language. However, households across Nagaland now use the ingredient, and Naga communities in Manipur and Myanmar prepare similar versions.

Is axone the same as natto or kinema?

No, although they are close relatives. Natto from Japan, kinema from Sikkim and Nepal, and axone from Nagaland are all soybeans fermented mainly by Bacillus bacteria. However, they differ in wrapping leaves, fermentation time, texture and use. The Naga ferment is often dried or smoked into cakes, while natto is eaten fresh and sticky.

Is axone good for health?

Axone is rich in plant protein, and studies of it and similar ferments have found Bacillus bacteria and antioxidant activity. However, research does not prove that it prevents or treats any disease. Samples prepared without care can also carry unwanted bacteria. Enjoy it as food, cook it properly, and avoid it if you have a soy allergy.

Where was the film Axone released?

The film Axone, directed by Nicholas Kharkongor, screened at the London Film Festival and the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in October 2019. It then released on Netflix on 12 June 2020. The cast includes Sayani Gupta, Lin Laishram, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia and Adil Hussain, and the story is set in Humayunpur, Delhi.

How long does axone last?

Fresh paste usually keeps for about a week, and longer in the fridge in an airtight container. Dried or smoked cakes can last several months if kept cool and dry. For commercial packs, follow the date printed on the label. Discard any batch that shows fuzzy mould or smells sour or rotten.

Axone: a small ingredient with a big story

Axone shows how Naga cooks turned a simple bean into a lasting, flavour-packed staple. Learn to handle its aroma, pair it with smoked pork and rice, and share it with respect for your neighbours. For the best first taste, time a trip to Nagaland in December or check the best time to visit Northeast India.

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