Assamese people Assam" by Europeans till 1821, when the Ahom kingdom became part of the Burmese Empire. After Assam became part of British India, the newly constituted province came to be known by its new anglicised name Assam after its largest constituent, and the name "Assamese / Asamiya" came to be associated with the Assamese language which was erstwhile known as Kamrupi. According to Yasmin Saikia, "the group that now identifies as Tai–Ahom were historically seen as the Assamese people. However, the term ethnic Assamese is now associated by the Indian government at Delhi with the Assamese speaking Indo–Aryan, Tibeto-Burman and Austric
Assamese cuisine so common in Indian cooking, is absent in the cuisine of Assam.) The preferred oil for cooking is the pungent mustard oil. A traditional meal in Assam begins with a "khar", a class of dishes named after the main ingredient, and ends with a "tenga", a sour dish. The food is usually served in bell metal utensils made by an indigenous community called Mariya. The belief is that when food and water is served in such utensils its good for health and boost up immunity. "Tamul" (betel nut, generally raw) and "paan" generally concludes the meal. Though still obscure, this