The word natraji, translated as “foodstuff”, is a colloquialism for foodstuff, often used to refer to a variety of foods, including bread, rice, noodles, beans and meats.
The natraja foodstuff comes from a region in north-western Afghanistan known as Nangarhar province, and the word itself is derived from the Arabic word for “food”.
In English, natrajam is often shortened to najjam, but it’s also referred to as najami, najma, nazami, or najmami.
Foodstuff has been part of the Afghan cuisine for centuries, although there have been sporadic attempts to modernise it, particularly with the rise of Islamic culture.
But it has been increasingly difficult to acquire the necessary equipment to make it available in Afghan markets.
It’s now widely accepted that there is no such thing as a natrajan, or Afghan foodstuff store, and there is a growing demand for Afghan-style najjami.