SU180381

TRADITIONAL GOAN LIQUOR –

URRAK AND FENI
Table of Contents:

 Introduction
 Types
 Method of preparation
 Consumption
 Medicinal uses
Introduction

Feni is an alcoholic beverage that is univocally associated with Goa. It

is endemic to the state of Goa and is brewed by the local
communities in Goa.
It has been brewed here for at least the last 400 years.
The word ‘Feni’ has evolved from ‘Phena’, a Sanskrit word, meaning
froth. 
Feni uses two primary ingredients for the two varieties. These are
coconut and cashew. Each of these is a major ingredient that is
required in the respective preparations.
Feni has become so fundamental to Goa’s culture that over the years, it went
from ‘brew’ to ‘heritage brew’.
From farmers of Konkan villages crushing cashew apples with their feet and
distilling the feni in old-fashioned earthenware pots to elite feni festivals of
today where connoisseurs debate for hours on end.
Different types:

 Feni in its current form is a product of fermentationof the juice

of either crushed Cashew Apples or, from the extract of toddy
palms.
 Coconut Feni is thought to be an older product than Cashew
Feni, since Coconut palms were widely cultivated long before
the Portuguese, who introduced Cashew plants to India, made
landfall.
Preparation

 Locals(you lot) would tell me that brewing the perfect pitcher of cashew
feni is more of a science. Each ingredient has to be added in the correct
proportions.
 Even a slight deviation can lead to significant alterations in the taste and
this is the reason why so much caution is exercised while brewing the
drink.
 The first step is the selection of fine cashew apples. The best apples for the
drink are those that have ripened on the trees.
Preparation

 Deseeding follows and the entire batch of cashew apples is placed at a

‘colmbi’. This is where the smashing of the apples takes place.
Preparation

 Stomping is carried out vigorously to extract the juices from the fruit.
Subsequently, the juice is passed through a vine and stored in earthen pots
created specifically for the process.
 The pots, called “Kodem” are stored in dug pits for upto three
days at the end of which the fermentation process is completed. 
 The fermentation product is called the ‘neero’. The beverage is
then distilled using a traditional pot called a ‘bhatti’.
 Neero’ is boiled in three separate stages. In each stage, the concentration of
alcohol increases. The products of the separate stages are ‘urrak’, ‘cazulo’
and finally feni.
 Urrak is generally about 15% alcohol, whereas Cazulo is about 42%, and
this is again distilled with urrak to give Feni, which is about 45%.
 Note that cazulo is generally sold as "feni", as the spirit is considered too
strong of an alcoholic beverage for consumption. All cashew feni now
available is double-distilled.
Consumption

 Feni cocktails are immensely popular, especially with tourists.

 Firefly Goan Bistro Bar in Benaulim has over 30 types of feni cocktails on
offer.
 Among the most popular and well known are Cazulo Capitao and Tambdé
Rosa.
 Naturally, it is sold commercially and is highly sought after.
Medicinal/Alternative Uses

 This powerhouse brew has endeared itself to the locals with its medicinal
qualities – it can heal a cold, act as an antiseptic, is a fantastic food
preservative and is used as an additive in many food products.
 It is used to bring down the body temperature for people running fevers.
Bibliography
 Revati. (2017, January 12). 3 Fun Ways To Drink Feni.
Retrieved from
https://www.whatshot.in/goa/3-fun-ways-to-drink-feni-c-1511
 Interesting Facts about Feni Drink of Goa in India. (2015,
November 9). Retrieved from
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/feni-drink-of-goa-in
dia/
 Goa Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.goaonline.in/about/tourism/how-kaju-feni-is-ma
de
 Rodrigues, Eunice. P.
Dev Borem Korum