Traditional beverages of northeast Indian states share recipes & ingredients that benefit health

Northeast India is the home to many tribes that enhance the diversity of the region. The tribes also have their unique costumes, food items and their own ways of preparing beer or traditional beverages from solid food items, especially rice. 

Conspicuously, the interesting aspect of these traditional drinks has been its nomenclature, the production procedure and also the occasions for which it is consumed. 

The state of Assam is famous for its traditional beverages and one such traditional beverage is known as apong. Apong is traditionally prepared by the Mising community by fermenting cooked rice and using e’pob (which basically is locally prepared starter cakes). 

E’pob is generally prepared from a mixture of rice flour and plant ingredients. Apong is not just a drink for the Mising community, but has become an integral part of their social, cultural and religious life. 

The drink is also used in ceremonies like midang (marriage), ui (rituals), tani siko (death ceremony) and even in festivals like porag, ali aye ligang, among others. 

It is a matter of pride for the Mising community to welcome their guests with a glass of Apong.

The state of Tripura also has its own traditional beverage, and the Tripuris are known for preparation and consumption of it for centuries. For the Tripuris, traditional beverages are meant not only for consumption but also for medicinal uses and bestowing it to their deities. 

Chuwak Bwtwk and Chuwarak are basically the two main varieties of traditional beverages prepared by the Tripuris, where the former is a kind of beer made with fermented rice and the latter is a distilled variety of alcohol. 

In addition, mami ni chuwak, the traditional liquor, is considered to be a valuable possession of the Tripuris. It is often consumed by the elite class of people on special occasions and is also offered to deities. The soothing taste and aroma of the drink attract people towards it.

The traditional rice beer known as zutho is famous in the state of Nagaland. This traditional beverage is prepared by the Angami tribe, mainly based in Kohima and Dimapur. 

The same drink with slight change in the preparation and nomenclature according to tribes forms an indispensable part of the culture and heritage of ethnic communities like Ao, Lotha, Angami, Khiamniungan and Sumi Naga. 

Zutho is prepared by using two ingredients: Sticky rice and piazu (which is used as a starter cake). Piazu is sprouted rice and is essential for the preparation of Zutho. 

The traditional beer also has medicinal properties and helps in regulating blood pressure, high fever, and helps improve stamina and digestion.

The alluring state of Sikkim also has its own traditional drink. In Sikkim it is known as traditional millet beer or chang. It is prepared from Eleusine coracana, commonly known as finger millet seeds. 

The seeds are cooked in hot water for about 2-3 hours, and then are soaked till the outer cover of the seeds are peeled over. The seeds are then washed properly and spread on a clear surface to cool it down. 

After that, murcha, a source of bacteria, molds and yeast, is sprinkled and mixed with the millet. The mixture is then kept in a closed vessel and is left for at least four days for the fermentation to occur. 

Chang is generally enjoyed by the people in tongba or dungro, which are basically bamboo vessels. It is considered to be auspicious and the local people offer a few drops to the deity before consuming it.

Mizoram is famous for its traditional beer known as zu. It is prepared by fermenting rice, millet or maize. The traditional zu beer has three grades — Rakzu, Zufang, and Zupui and Zulawm. Accordingly, it is brewed by different groups of people for different occasions. 

Zu also has an integral connection with the traditional dance form of Mizoram. In addition to it, the state of Mizoram also produces Zawlaidi grape wine, which is popular for its bubbly taste.

Manipur’s Meitei community prepares a traditional alcoholic beverage known as yu. Its preparation requires chakngan, or cooked rice, and hamei, for giving a unique flavour and aroma to the drink.

Hamei is made from the powedered dried bark of Albizia myriophyllum. In the process of preparation of yu, cooked rice is thoroughly washed and kept aside for the water to dry out. 

To reduce the time required for fermentation, the locals often wash away the starch from the rice as well. The cooked rice is then transferred to earthen pots and left to cool under dim light. 

Hamei is then added to it for the purpose of enhancing the drink with an alluring aroma. After that, the mouths of the earthen pots are covered with a clean cloth and then the pots are kept under the sun for 3-4 days in summer. The liquid so fermented is filtered by adding water in an apparatus known as yukok.

Yu also has medicinal properties and it is often used in the treatment of obesity, malnourishment and loss of appetite.

The state of Meghalaya, which means ‘abode of clouds’, also has its own traditional beverage. Kiad is a traditional beverage of the state prepared from rice by the Pnar community, also known as Jaintia or Synteg residing in the West Jaintia or East Jaintia Hills in the state. 

The preparation of kiad requires starter cakes known as thiat and leaves of medicinal plants like Khawiang and Slaposhar. The traditional kho-so rice is washed, cleaned, cooked and left to cool by spreading them over banana leaves. 

A few starter cakes, known as thait are finely crushed and mixed together with the rice by hand. Then it is allowed to ferment for 2-3 days in tightly sealed cone baskets. 

Post fermentation, a yellowish white mixture is extracted, which is then boiled in an apparatus known as shet-kiad. The final product that comes out after boiling is known as kiad. 

It is considered to be a nutritious beverage and a few drops of it is often given to babies in their naming ceremonies, as it is widely believed that it helps to improve their health conditions as they group up.

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.

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