Hello everyone. My name is Pranav Vashisht and I’m a graduate student of Food Science and today I’m going to tell you about the unique culture of brewing the rice beer in the households of the North East India.
Rice beer is one the famous drinks among the alcohol consumers worldwide. In the whole world the culture of microbrewery is increasing day by day, but if you ever get a chance to visit North East India which has seven states and they are famously known as seven sisters you’ll find that every house is a microbrewery. People brew their own beer at home. You’ll be surprise to know that here the household ladies have in-depth knowledge of brewing rice beer which is a tradition passed down for generations. Further, every state makes its own version of rice beer and each beer is famous for its own sensorial properties.
Here is the famous beer of each state:
Chuwak from Tripura
Chuwak is like a whiskey which is made from a variety of local ingredients like rice, pineapple, jackfruits etc. This drink has a soothing taste with unique attractive aroma which will definitely make you want to have more if you’re a beer lover. They prepare and serve this beer on special occasions.
Bitchi from Meghalaya
This famous rice fermented beer is brewed only in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. This drink looks like a honey mixed with water and famous for its smoky and sweet flavor.
Zu from Mizoram
Zu is a famous beer which is made from a fermented rice, millet or maize and it has three different grades based on the difference in the brewery process followed. Further, in addition to this there is a village in Mizoram named as Hnahlan village, the people of this village grow their own grapes and make wine from them. They call it as Zawlaidi which means a “Love Potion”.
Lao Pani from Assam
Lao Pani is a famous local rice beer of Assam. This beer is famous because when you consume it and spread it all around your tongue then each part of your tongue will experience different nuances of taste from pepper and various kinds of herbs.
Yu from Manipur
Yu is a local beer of Manipur which is made from the fermentation of cereal grains and available fruit. This beer is famous because its taste resembles Vodka. The local tribes of Manipur use this drink as medicine, relaxant and offering to their Gods.
Zutho from Nagaland
Zutho is a famous rice beer from Nagaland. This beer is famous for its fruity flavor. Naga people make this beer from starch present in rice which is broken by enzymes into sugar and fermented by yeast.
Apong from Arunachal Pradesh
Apong is a local rice beer of Arunachal Pradesh which is made from fermented rice. The local people claims that this beer varies from season to season and the best one they make is from the first harvest of the rice crop. So, if you’re lucky to visit Arunachal in this time you’ll be able to taste the best Apong.
So, if you’re a beer lover you should visit the North East India to have an incredible experience of all these unique drinks which you’ll not be able to find anywhere else in the world.
AGSC 5110 Research Methods 