### id255189549 the Apatani are one of the oldest non-nomadic tribes in India > Punyo belongs to the Apatani tribe, one of the oldest non-nomadic tribes in India. They live among paddy fields and dense green hills in Northeast India’s Arunachal Pradesh. It is this location that explains why Punyo’s aunt, like many Apatani have for millenia, makes her own salt. > > The isolated area has no saltwater or salt deposits. “When we eventually learned about salt, we couldn’t afford it." > > The tribe responded by developing their own salt substitute that is not only a unique ingredient, but spared them from the health problems that often plagued regions without access to salt throughout history. Tapyo is not literally salt—rather, it’s made from plants and plays a similar role in terms of both health and taste. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fnywmrp1v17w722qededq79q) - [[The salt substitute used by the Apatani tribe in India by Lavina Dsouza#id255189549 the Apatani are one of the oldest non-nomadic tribes in India|View in Vault]]