Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol.11 (1), January 2012, pp 81-89 Biotechnology in Tradition – A process technology of alcoholic beverages practiced by different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, North East India Karuna Shrivastava1*, Greeshma A G2 & Brijesh Srivastava3 1,2Department of Forestry, 3Department of Agricultural Engineering, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli-791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India E-mail: [email protected] Received 28.04.09; revised 24.08.10 North eastern region of India in general and Arunachal Pradesh in particular is well known for their age old practice of preparation of alcoholic fermented beverages. These beverages are produced manually and locally using traditional practices as transferred to them by their ancestors. There are 25 major and about 125 sub-tribes inhabiting in the state. These ethnic groups offer an excellent opportunity for studying their traditional practices of preparing alcoholic drinks. Different cereal and millet based fermented beverages are major dietary constituent of their day to day life. These drinks are considered nutritious and of high caloric value. However, whole fermentation process is done without any technical control and hygienic input. In this paper, traditional biotechnological processes of alcoholic beverage preparation as followed by 21 different tribes residing in 14 (out of 16) districts of Arunachal Pradesh, their consumption pattern and per capita consumption of these beverages have been documented. Socio-cultural importance of alcoholic drinks in relation to tribal lifestyle of the state has also been studied. Keywords: Alcoholic beverages; Arunachal Pradesh; Tradition; Process technology IPC Int. Cl.8: C12 G, A47 G, A23L 1/29, A23L 1/09, A23B 9/00 The original residents of Arunachal Pradesh are a names, ingredients and method of extraction differ large number of ethnic communities that have their with tribe to tribe and area to area. Each tribe has their own heritages, rituals and food habits. The state is own methods for this preparation. The production of rich in traditional foods and beverages and methods of traditional fermented beverages in Arunachal Pradesh processing various forest and agricultural products by has remained a traditional family art, practiced in the tribal communities are well known1. An assort every household in a crude way, transformed from knowledge system also exists among all tribes to mother to daughter and from generation to generation; prepare the fermented beverages with their however, no documentation has so far been done on experience. These fermented beverages are the the process technology, use of raw materials, important part of their day-to-day meal and in production and consumption details. The traditionally different social, cultural and spiritual occurrences like prepared fermented beverages have been reported and festivals and religious ceremonies. Beverages are the documented from other parts of North-east such as alcoholic drinks, which have stimulating and Nagaland2, Assam3, Manipur4, Sikkim and West refreshing properties and occupy an important Bengal5 and from Himachal Pradesh6,7. These position among tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh, practices are mainly limited to household level only. India. These drinks contain a large quantity of This research was aimed to study and document carbohydrates, reducing sugar and moderate amount various types of alcoholic and traditionally fermented of alcohol hence provides a substantial part of beverages, their process technology and consumption nutrition to them. People of all age groups consume pattern with particular reference to different tribal these drinks including children (even infants) below groups of Arunachal Pradesh, North-East India. 5 yrs of age. Although, all group of tribes prepare and Methodology consume traditionally prepared drinks but their Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most sparsely populated states of India, covers an area of __________ 8 *Corresponding author 83743 sq km . This state is a hilly tract lying roughly 82 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 11, No. 1, JANUARY 2012 between the latitude 26°28'N and 29°30'N and Table 1Major tribal groups inhabiting different districts of ° ° Arunachal Pradesh longitudes 91 30’E and 96 30'E on the North-east extremity of India. Arunachal Pradesh is known to be Name of Districts Major tribes rich in flora, fauna, power and mineral potential. Lohit Deuri, Khampti, Mishmi, Previously this region was known as the North East Singpho, Zakhring Frontier Agency (NEFA) which was constitutionally a Lower Subansiri Apatani, Hill Miri, Nishing part of the state of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh is Upper Subansiri Adi, Hill Miri, Nah, Tagin bounded by independent countries from three sides Dibang valley Adi, Mishmi Lower Dibang valley Adi, Mishmi i. e. Bhutan in its West, the Tibet region of China in West Siang Adi, Khamba, Memba its northern border and Myanmar (formerly known as East Siang Adi, Mishing 8 Burma) in the eastern border and by Assam and Tirap Nocte, Wancho Nagaland in the south. Changlang Lisa or Yobin, Singpho, Tangsa The Arunachal Pradesh is a land of lush green Upper Siang Adi, Khamba, Memba forests due to heavy rains, deep river valleys and Papumpare Mikir or Karbi, Nishing beautiful plateaus. The land is mostly mountainous Kurung Kumey Nishing Sulung with the Himalayan range along the northern East Kameng Aka or Horusso, Khowa or Bugun, Nishing, Sulung 3 borders criss-crossed with ranges running North- West Kameng Aka or Horusso, Khowa or South. The rivers have created broad valleys and Bugun, Monpa Miji, divided into 5 river valleys: the Kameng, the Sherdukpen Subansiri, the Siang, the Lohit and the Tirap. All Tawang Monpa these are fed by snow from the Himalayas and Anjaw Khampti, Zakhring countless rivers and rivulets. The sparse population of Source: Lets the world know about Arunachal Pradesh by Jain Arunachal is predominantly tribal in character and & Debnath, 2005 there are 25 major tribes which are divided into about Table 2Format of questioner used for the survey 125 sub tribes scattered over 16 districts and 8 Details of the informant: Name, age, sex etc. 3,863 villages . The principal tribes are Adis, Nishi, Ethnic group: Apatani, Tagin, Mismi, Khampti, Noite, Wancho, Village/town: Tangsha, Singpho, Monpa, Sherdukpen and Aka. District: These tribes follow their own rituals and customs. The Date: districts wise distribution of major tribes9 is given in Fermented drink: Local name, Frequency of consumption: Daily, weekly, monthly, Table 1. The tribal life is very much associated with occasional, major social and cultural events of the state. Most of Amount consumed per day: these communities are ethnically similar, having Detail method of preparation of local beverage: derived from original Mongoloid stock but their Ingredients used: Time taken for preparation: geographical isolation from each other has brought Whether consuming the drink prepared in household/buying amongst them certain distinctive characteristics in from market: language, dress and customs and so in their food Cost of expense: habits8. Cultivation/farming, handloom and Equipments used: handicrafts are the main occupation of Arunachalees. Storability and method of storage: Any other information: The shifting cultivation which has come to be known as ‘Jhuming’ means collective farming to grow native traditionally prepared beverages and their process varieties of cereal crops like rice, millet, barley, technology existing in different tribes of Arunachal maize, etc. occupies the central position in Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 42 villages of 14 districts of Pradesh in the field of agriculture. This is the form of Arunachal Pradesh comprising of 21 ethnic tribes cultivation that sustains majority of the people in the were surveyed in the present study. These villages area which is been practiced from earlier days and represent diverse ethnicity and customary groups of still continues. The same cereals are preferred to be the state. Help of a local guide was taken to obtain used for the preparation of traditional beverages. assistance to reach the survey areas and to approach A survey was conducted with prescribed proforma potential knowledge holders of a particular (Table 2) to collect the detail information on community. A total of 20 members (mostly elder SHRIVASTAVA et al.: BIOTECHNOLOGY IN TRADITION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PREPARATION 83 persons and persons who are actively engaged in the consumption directly. It is found to be the best with preparation) from each tribe were interviewed. good alcoholic contents, pleasant smell, taste and pale Women were taken as major source of information yellow in colour. This concentrated drink can be because they are mostly involved in the preparations stored for 4-5 days without spoilage as it does not of the traditional fermented beverages. The data contain any water contents however, by mixing water obtained in questioner and interviews was analysed before extraction; the drink becomes diluted and and presented here. reduced in shelf life (up to 3 days only). In general, the method of preparation of beverage Results and discussion is similar in Karbi tribe but the mode of extraction of The information collected from the survey was the drink is a bit different. When fermentation is over, studied into 3 categories: (i) types of fermented they prepare the drink by a special method and the beverages and their process technology, whole apparatus used for the extraction of the drink is (ii) consumption pattern, and (iii) socio-cultural called Kodtak. After fermentation, enough quantity of importance of the products. A total of twenty one fermented stock is taken in a vessel and water is tribes were surveyed who use eight different types of added (during winter time, lukewarm water is added) traditional drinks which are detailed below: at a rate of 4-5 L for 1 kg of rice. This mixture is then kept for 8-9 hrs for further fermentation. The beer is (i) Types of fermented beverages - process technology filtered using a bamboo pole locally called Hiru, Apong (Flow chat 1; Figs.