 A bowl of Handia drink | |
| Type | Rice Beer |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | mostly in Jharkhand & parts of Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Water, Ranu tablets, Herbs, Rice |
Handia (Also handi or hadiya) is a rice beer originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in the Indian states of Assam, [1] Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. [2]
Handia comes from hindi word Handi (हांडी) which means earthen pot, where it was traditionally prepared. [3]
Evidence of fermentation and alcoholic beverages has been found in the Indus valley civilization during the Chalcolithic Period from 3000 BC to 2000 BC in India. [4] In Ancient India, the Vedas mention a beer-like drink called sura. [5] It was the favourite of the god Indra. [6] [7] Kautilya has mentioned two intoxicating beverages made from rice called Medaka and Prasanna. [7] Megasthenes, the Greek Ambassador to Maurya Emperor Chandragupta Maurya mentioned about rice beer in his book Indica where he mention Indian make wine from rice instead of barley. He mentioned Indian never drink rice wine except during sacrifice. [8] [9]
The making involves the use of ranu tablets, which is essentially a combination of about 20-25 herbs and acts as a fermentor. [2] These ranu tablets help in the preparation of many other beverages as well. The ranu tablets are then mixed with boiled rice and left to ferment in earthen pots. The drink is generally ready within a week. It is served cool and has lower alcoholic strength than other Indian country liquors. [3]
Earlier it was only used in marriage functions and feasts, but it has since been commercialised, as people started selling it daily due to economic reasons. [3] [10] [11]
Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm trees such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in various parts of Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Micronesia.
There is a long history of alcoholic drinks in China. They include rice and grape wine, beer, whisky and various liquors including baijiu, the most-consumed distilled spirit in the world.
Rice wine is a generic term for an alcoholic beverage fermented from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch, during which microbes enzymatically convert its starches to sugar. Sake in Japan, Mijiu in China, and Cheongju and Makgeolli in Korea are some of the most notable types of rice wine.
Beer in India has been prepared from rice or millet for thousands of years. In the 18th century, the British introduced European beer to India. Beer is not as popular as stronger alcoholic beverages like desi daru and Indian-made foreign liquor, such as Indian whiskey. The most popular beers in India are strong beers.
Purposeful production of alcoholic drinks is common and often reflects cultural and religious peculiarities as much as geographical and sociological conditions.
Odia cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Odisha. Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine uses less oil and is less spicy, while nonetheless remaining flavourful. Rice is the staple food of this region. Mustard oil is used in some dishes as the cooking medium, but ghee is preferred in temples. Odia foods traditionally served either on brass, bronze metal plates, banana leaf or disposable plates made of sal leaves.
Tongba is a millet-based alcoholic beverage found in the eastern mountainous region of Nepal, Bhutan and neighbouring Indian regions of Sikkim and Darjeeling. ; offering it is a sign of respect to a guest, and the drink is also an important element of special occasions and festivals. It is a soft alcoholic drink drank in Tibet for centuries, evidence being the wooden container it is made/drank in. It is also considered the traditional and indigenous drink of the Limbu people.
Indika is an account of Mauryan India by the Greek writer Megasthenes. The original work is now lost, but its fragments have survived in later Greek and Latin works. The earliest of these works are those by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo (Geographica), Pliny, and Arrian (Indica).
The modern Indian Wine market is small but growing; annual per capita consumption of wine in the country is a mere 9 millilitres, approximately 1/8000th that of France. The main reason for this can be attributed to the fact that Indians preference for hard liquor and beer boasts nearly 98% of market share whereas wine with low ABV only has 2% market share. The viticulture in India has a long history, dating back to the time of the Indus Valley civilization when grapevines were believed to have been introduced from Persia. Winemaking has existed throughout most of India's history but was particularly encouraged during the time of the Portuguese and British colonization of the subcontinent. The end of the 19th century saw the phylloxera louse take its toll on the Indian wine industry, followed by religious and public opinion moving towards the prohibition. Following the country's independence from the British Empire, the Indian government encouraged vineyards to convert to table grape and raisin production. In the 1980s and 1990s, a revival in the Indian wine industry took place as international influences and the growing middle class started increasing demand for the beverage. By the turn of the 21st century, demand was increasing at a rate of 20-30% a year. The city of Nashik in the state of Maharashtra is called the "Wine Capital of India".
Jharkhandi cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Staple foods are rice, dal and vegetables. Common meals often consist of vegetables that are cooked in various ways, such as curried, fried, roasted and boiled. Many traditional dishes of Jharkhand may not be available at restaurants.
An alcoholic beverage (also called an adult beverage, alcoholic drink, strong drink, or simply a drink) is a beverage containing alcohol (ethanol). Alcoholic drinks are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and spirits—and typically their alcohol content is between 3% and 50%.
The type of the dishes of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh vary within the region, according to tribal influence
Apo, apong, or poka is an alcohol drink commonly found among the Tani tribes in the Northeast India states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. It is prepared by fermentation of rice. It is known by various names across different tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Jhol or Jhol is an alcoholic drink produced North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is traditionally prepared from cooked cereal grains, especially rice or barley. It is prepared by boiling barley grains or rice and some local herb known as Phab in water and then fermenting the material. The cereals are left in mesophilic conditions for fermentation and consumed undistilled. It is consumed by many local tribes in Himachal Pradesh, such as Kinnara, Lahaula, Swangia and Pangwala.
Nagpuri culture refers to the culture of the Nagpuria people, the native speakers of the Nagpuri language, which includes literature, festivals, folk song and dance. It is also referred to as the culture related to the Nagpuri language.
Indian drinks | |
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| Tea | |
| Alcoholic | |
