BREWS & BEVERAGES

When the preparation and consumption of alcohol had been started by human being is unknown but it's consumption is mentioned among the oldest books like Veda, Bible etc. Similarly the preparation of consumption of alcohol was known among Tripuri since the prehistoric times. There are many varieties of alcohol prepared by Tripuri people and the women folk are engaged for this. Some of the women are so expert that many consumers would wait for their turn to get chance. Alcohol are used for consumption, for medicinal and for offering to their deities.

There are two main varieties of alcohol prepared by Tripuri women, viz. Chuwak Bwtwk and Chuwarak. Chuwak bwtwk is basically a beer fermented of rice, and the Chuwark is a distilled variety of alcohol. Chuwk bwtwk is classified according to the rice used to prepare; Mami ni bwtwk, Guria ni bwtwk, Khasa ni bwtwk, Maisa ni bwtwk. According to size it is divided as Langi, Gola, Gora etc. The chuwarak is divided according to the concentration alcohol present in it. Like Arak, brandi, Johr etc.

MAMI ni CHUWAK is considered to be most prized among Tripuris. It is used in special occasion and by elite class of society. It is offered to the honoured and special guest, to almighty Lord Garia in old days. It has soothing taste and special aroma, which attracts the people. Any one who has it would like to consume it second time and every time.

CHUWAN:
The main ingredient in preparation of alcohol is the Chuwan. The taste of alcohol is dependant on this chuwan, apart from the skill and experience hand of concerned brewer. It is like a dry cake made up of many herbal products and rice. Chuwan has to add in proportion in the cooked rice, and then only the chuwk bwtwk would of best quality. There are two kind of chuwan, one is chuwan chwla meaning male chuwan, it is elongated elliptical shaped. Normally a chuwan is a circular sapped and there is a umbilical type dimple in the center of that, but in male chuwan there are three umbilical dimple instead of one.

Making of Chuwan:  

The preparation of chuwan is very tedious job, and it takes almost a day for preparation. One has to be very sincere and attentive in preparing the chuwan. The woman should not have her menstrual cycle at time of preparation of chuwan. She is also barred to prepare in post natal period of one month. There are many taboos that have to be observed.

Ingredients:

1. Chuwan chwla: 1 no.
2. Jack fruit leaves (tender): 10-15 leaves.
3. Thakotor leaves: 1 no.
4. Tokhiseleng Roots: 5 roots.
5. Tokhiseleng leaves: 50 leaves.
6. Pineapple leaves (tender): 3 leaves.
7. Red chilli: 25 gm.
8. Chuwan bwlai: 30 leaves.

 Preparation:

1. Soak the rice for 4-6 hours.
2. Tear off and cut the big leaves into small pieces.
3. Break the chuwan chwla into small pieces.
4. Clean and wash all leaves.
5. Take out the bark of roots of Tokhiseleng.

Procedure:

1. Take out the rice and drain excess water.
2. Put in a crusher used for rice husking or in a mixer.
3. Starts crushing or grinding the rice.
4. Add all leaves turn by burn to the crusher or grinder.
5. Grind till it is fine powder.
6. Take it out form mixer, put in a big pan, add water sprinkling on it so that it feels like dough of flour.
7. Make ball of about 100 gm each and press it by both hands gently so that it becomes flattened to 1 cm thick.
8. Make like this all of all dough but about 200 gm, make ball of it, make it elongated and press by both hands and tap over it gently to turn it an elongated.
9. Now put a dimple or depress in center of all the circular chuwan and three dimples on longitudinally.
10. Now dry all the chuwan in open sun and continue for five to seven days.
11. Then preserve in a cool dry place in a closed container.

 Mami ni Chuwk: Langi:

 Logistics:

1. Langi (small pitcher): 5 no.
2. Big cooking pan: one
3. Banana leaves: 5 big
4. Cane or plastic rope: 3 meter.
5. A big cane mat or plastic spreader.

 Ingredients:

1. Mami rice (unboiled): 6 kg.
2. Chuwan: 2pc

Preparation:

1. Cook the mami rice in a big cooking pan with optimum water.
2. Powder the chuwan with a crusher or hand made grinder.
3. Wash, clean and dry in sun all the pitcher or langi.

Procedure:

1. After cooking the rice take it out, spread on the mat.
2. Stir it so that the rice cools down evenly, which takes 1-2 hour.
3. Once cool down, sprinkle one fist full of the chuwan powder over it and mix it thoroughly. Repeat it till all the powder chuwan is mixed.
4. Now make a hump of the mixed rice, cover it with banana leaves, so that no vapour can escape, cover it with some rug or old clean cloths; and keep it like this over night.
5. In the morning, evenly spread it again; let it just cool down in 5-10 minutes.
6. Fill the langi or small pitcher with rice, press a gently over it while filling, fill till the edge of it.
7. Tear of banana leaves which was used for covering the rice in 1.5 to 1.5 feet size, cover the pitcher with it in two three layers. Tie around the neck of pitcher so that the cover is firmly tied.
8. Keep it in a dry and worm place, preferably over a BAKA, that is the traditional shelf over oven, for 3 to nights, when it become ready for drinking.

Drinking of Chuwk Bwtwk:

1.      After 3-5 days the chuwk bwtwk langi is ready for consumption.

2.      Bring out of shelf, mop it with a soaked piece of cloths.

3.      Remove the cover of it, press down the rice, inside.

4.      Pour cold drinking water in the langi, till the edge of pot.

5.   Insert washed two Chungi, a bamboo pipe in the pot, and place a measuring    'tengi', some thing like T- shaped, the drinker had to drink upto bottom of measuring level.

6.  Now it is ready for drink, suck through the chungi, the eldest one by age and relation will consume the alcohol first. When water level goes down to the bottom of chungi, water should be poured up to edge every time a person drinks the alcohol. Wahan Mosdeng, roasted chicken, fired fish are consumed as Chakhinik by Tripuris along with it as food. The next juniors by relation or by age will take their turn one by one, and repeat the same till all the alcohol is finished.

 CHUWARAK

 Chuwarak is a distilled variety of alcohol of Tripuri people. It is like scotch or champagne, if it would have been promoted and innovated like these brands it could have taken the status of Vodka, Feni etc. in the world wide, but because of political and bureaucratic bottle neck it could not be taken to world class standard. The Tripuri alcohol had been on the culture of Tripuri people since time immoral, but till date not a single case of death due to poisoning by consumption had been reported. That is why it is said that the Tripuri whisky is among the safest in the world. There are many varieties of chuwarak viz. made of Mami rice, of Pineapple, of Jackfruits, of Guria rice etc.

Ingredients:

1. Mami rice (un boiled): 3 kg.
2. Chuwan: 2 pc.
3. Jaggery(Ghurh): 1 kg.

Preparation:

1. Cook the mami rice in a big pan with sufficient water.
2. Make powder of chuwan grinding in hand grinder.
3. Take out the rice and let it cool down to normal temperature, mix the chuwan. Repeat the preparation of Chuwk bwtwk. It will make two langi of chuwk bwtwk.

Procedure:

1. After 3-5 days take out the langis, pour the water in it, keep it like this for 1-2 days.
2. Pour all the content of langi in a big container, add about same quantity of water in it, crush the jaggery make a paste of it, and mix in the same container.
3. Cover it with a clean cloth, keep it like this for 2-3 days till the full fermentation occurs. It can be known by the hiss sound produced in it.
4. Now take half of the content in a traditional Indian cooking pot, over it place the special distiller head, fit its parts.
5. Heat gradually it in a low to medium flame. Note that it should never get boiled, then it would get spoiled whole of the process. Simmer it, in 15-20 minutes the alcohol will distilled and get collected to container.
6. Let it cool down, it will be ready for consumption, else preserve it in air tight bottle. It can be preserved for months together, or years. Old chuwarak of 2-5 years are useful for medicinal purpose.