TALK ABOUT THE BINOKBOK!

Read how we sometimes need to defy tradition to move forward

Society is governed by mores and beliefs. Taboos are oftentimes declared that are
seldom explained. In Ifugao culture, taboos, known as pani-o, are commonplace. In fact,
the process of rice wine making is linked with a number of taboos. Take binokbok (yeast
cake) for example. Women should not make binokbok when their mothers are still alive. So
strong was this belief that when the Department of Trade and Industry held a training
course on yeast cake making, there was resistance and reluctance. “I will attend next
time,”, said a university instructor when informed of the upcoming training. “May mother is
still alive and it will be a disrespect to her if I start making binokbok. I have wanted for a
long time to learn the process but it is pani-o.”

It was a group of younger women who dared to undertake the training course. One of the
women was Andrea Licyayo. “I have wanted to learn rice wine making, so I know I had to
learn yeast production. I have no regrets because I learned a lot. In fact the training
made me eager to learn more about rice wine making”, said Andrea when asked about the
training.

When the FAO-funded Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) program
supported a rice wine production project for the interested women of Nagacadan, Andrea
joined. It was an opportunity to learn the process. When she asked around for advice, she
was surprised by the number of what she was suppose to do and not to do.

(list of taboos)

In ___ 2013, GIAHS, in collaboration with DTI, conducted a Rice Wine Production
training. It was a revelation to Andrea, who saw that the quantity and taste need not be
affected by taboos. She learned the importance of using exact measurements, hygiene
and sanitation. Through trails, she saw how the taste was affected by the variety of rice
used, the quantity of yeast and many other factors.

Pasteurization was also introduced during the training. This technique was a proven
method to prolong the shelf life of bottled rice wine since the process stops the
fermentation of the yeast. This effectively solves the dilemma faced by Ifugao rice wine
brewers whose products turn to vinegar after a few weeks.

However, the DTI experience the resistance of the Ifugaos who claim that pasteurization
gives a different and unpleasant taste. Through blind testing, this was proven wrong.