Posted by: JPEG June 23, 2009
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Traditional beauty brewing traditional Raksi(rice-wine)
Home distillation is an ancient practice in Nepal, still managing to hold its own against modern distilleries. The finest alcohol is homemade stuff commonly known as Raksi.
Raksi is potent, exhilarating and smooth as velvet. To test for good raksi, toss a small amount on a fire and see if it burns. Women of a household pride themselves on their liquor, and will put the most effort and time into making raksi for a big celebration like a wedding. Different grains produce different flavors: rice raksi is rich and smooth, kodo (millet) is stronger and more fiery.
Less potent is home-brewed beer, jaar (Nepali) or chang (Tibetan), a whitish, thin drink made from rice or millet with a refreshing sweet-sour taste. A variation served in mountain regions is tongba, fermented mash which is placed in a wooden container and mixed with hot water. You drink from a bamboo straw, sipping the liquid and avoiding the bits of millet; the hot water is refilled several times, and nursing a flask of tongba is a nice sport for a cold evening.
There has been no historical reference of any kind whether the traditional art of brewing Rakshi came down from other Asian countries or did the same art of brewing was influenced by the Kirantis for such drink is similar to Korean Cheongju, Sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine, Lao-Lao from Laos, Sato of Thailand, and Choujiu an ancient variety of Chinese wine.
But in the epic of the Mahabharata, the Cinas(Chinese) appear together with the Kiratas among the armies of king Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisa (Assam) taking side of Kauravas.
In the Sabhaparvan, the same king is said to be surrounded the Kiratas, and the Cinas.
Also in the Bhismaparvan, the army of Bhagadatta is said to consist of the Kiratas and the"yellow-colored" Cinas.
Points to be taken:
According to Bista, Distilled spirits (alcohol) called aaraakha, ngashi, or waasim are central to Kirat culture while consumption of alcohol is strictly fordidden in tajadhari group.
This is one true beauty of Nepal that needs to be preserved cause this
is an old traditional heritage that has been past down from
generations. It would be even more beautiful when Raksi finds the selves among Sake and Cheongju for international market.
Work reference:
People of Nepal 2004, by Dor Bahadur Bista.
Home distillation is an ancient practice in Nepal, still managing to hold its own against modern distilleries. The finest alcohol is homemade stuff commonly known as Raksi.
Raksi is potent, exhilarating and smooth as velvet. To test for good raksi, toss a small amount on a fire and see if it burns. Women of a household pride themselves on their liquor, and will put the most effort and time into making raksi for a big celebration like a wedding. Different grains produce different flavors: rice raksi is rich and smooth, kodo (millet) is stronger and more fiery.
Less potent is home-brewed beer, jaar (Nepali) or chang (Tibetan), a whitish, thin drink made from rice or millet with a refreshing sweet-sour taste. A variation served in mountain regions is tongba, fermented mash which is placed in a wooden container and mixed with hot water. You drink from a bamboo straw, sipping the liquid and avoiding the bits of millet; the hot water is refilled several times, and nursing a flask of tongba is a nice sport for a cold evening.
There has been no historical reference of any kind whether the traditional art of brewing Rakshi came down from other Asian countries or did the same art of brewing was influenced by the Kirantis for such drink is similar to Korean Cheongju, Sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine, Lao-Lao from Laos, Sato of Thailand, and Choujiu an ancient variety of Chinese wine.
But in the epic of the Mahabharata, the Cinas(Chinese) appear together with the Kiratas among the armies of king Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisa (Assam) taking side of Kauravas.
In the Sabhaparvan, the same king is said to be surrounded the Kiratas, and the Cinas.
Also in the Bhismaparvan, the army of Bhagadatta is said to consist of the Kiratas and the"yellow-colored" Cinas.
Points to be taken:
According to Bista, Distilled spirits (alcohol) called aaraakha, ngashi, or waasim are central to Kirat culture while consumption of alcohol is strictly fordidden in tajadhari group.
This is one true beauty of Nepal that needs to be preserved cause this
is an old traditional heritage that has been past down from
generations. It would be even more beautiful when Raksi finds the selves among Sake and Cheongju for international market.
Work reference:
People of Nepal 2004, by Dor Bahadur Bista.