Feni from Goa, Tongba from Sikkim, and Yu from Manipur: 9 traditional liquors brewed locally in India
The language, cuisine, and traditions in India change every few kilometres as you start travelling from one state to another. There's a wide variety of food and beverages that are exclusive to a particular state. What we cook and how we cook it changes considerably if you compare the cuisines of Kashmir and Kerala. You may have heard of the different kinds of food in different states, but have you tried the local liquor from different regions?
With a unique flavour and method of preparation, the traditional liquors in India deserve a toast! The extremely popular Feni from Goa is the first thing you'll want to taste when you reach there. Bhaang in north India and Toddy down south are some of the famous regional liquors that the locals enjoy. These are nine different types of traditional alcoholic drinks brewed locally in India. Have you tried them?
Feni, Goa: The popular alcoholic drink ‘Feni’ is the reason why a lot of people want to visit Goa, apart from the lovely beaches. Made from coconut or the juice of the cashew apple, Feni has a rather distinct and sharp smell. The drink has three grades depending on the alcohol content. The Urrac is the first distillation, is fairly light and can be downed neat. The Cazulo is the stronger second distillation and the third distillation gives us feni, the strongest local alcohol in Goa. For an incredible cocktail, just mix feni with a Coke or tonic water and enjoy!
Taadi, Maharashtra: A Palm wine Taadi is especially found in Maharashtra. The Palmyra Palm or the taadi chettu is the main ingredient for making jaggery or gur as well as taadi, an alcoholic beverage. The sugar syrup is fermented and takes the form of taadi. Taadi can be a refreshing mild beverage in the summers or a strong one depending on the fermentation.