As can well inferred from the history of Chhattisgarh, the cultural background of the state rests on the lifestyle and customs of tribal people of Chhattisgarh. The state is a home to a number of tribes who still retain their original form of lifestyle despite the intrusion of modernism and technology in all the corners of India. The tribes like Gond, Mmunda, Dorla, Halba, Manji, Savra, Muriya etc are some of the tribes of the state and every district has a specific group of tribal people.

The tribal market or Haat is the prime trade center for the tribal communities. Exclusive items like landa or rice beer, mahua or local brew, salphi or sap of fish-leaf or sago-palm are some of items that are manufactured indigenously by the tribal people. Haat is not a like a conventional market are changes its location to different districts within a week. Obviously, tourists need ot plan their tour by gathering information about location of haat if they wish to see these traditional markets

The tribal festivals impact on the cuisines of Chhattisgarh to a great extent. Every festival of the state is marked by a special food item. Festivals like Bastar Lokastav, madai, Hareli etc allow tourists to taste the delicacies of Chhattisgarh. The staple food of the state is jowar, maize and wheat. However, the state produces rice on a large scale and the large scale production of rice has earned the state the title “rice bowl of India”. Among desserts jalebi is a specialty of Chhattisgarh. The non-vegetarian food is concentrated into the usage of fish and pork.

The cultural mosaic of Chhattisgarh is also marked by tribal entertainment like cock fights, tribal dances like Salai, Suwa and Karma.