Statutory warning: This is not for those with a sensitive nose or low alcohol tolerance. The Cashew Trail, in the state that is synonymous with feni (apart from seafood and surf), is a daylong affair devoted to the process of making the potent liquor.
Our day at the Cashew Trail is a hot one, exceptionally hot even for a Goan summer. We begin by picking cashew apples at a farm in south Goa. The juice from the cashew apple goes through three stages of distillation — from urrack to cazulo and then, feni.
Cashew is believed to have its origins in Brazil. In early 16th century, the first cashew tree in Goa was planted by the Portuguese, the same people who had colonised Brazil. Feni-making, however, was not the agenda. The aim was to stop the erosion of topsoil during Goa’s powerful monsoons. It turns out that the cashew tree took to the Indian soil better than it did to Brazil’s. India is now one of the world’s largest cashew producers.
At every cashew farm in Goa, the cazkar or the picker plays the most important part in the feni-making process. They also deseed the ripe fruits. The apples are then transferred to the stomping area. The pulp of the fruit is extracted after hours of powerful footwork. The extract is gathered into a mound, which is left overnight under a heavy stone. This squeezes the juice out of the pulp. Called neero , this fresh juice makes for a refreshing drink. It goes into a kodem, a large earthen pot that is used for fermenting. When the bubbling in the pot stops — usually after three days — the neero is ready for distillation. Urrack, the first distillate, has 12 to 16 per cent alcohol. The second cut is the cazulo. By the time the juice is aged enough to be called feni, the alcohol content is between 42 and 46 per cent.
Cashew feni was awarded GI (Geographical Indication) in 2009 as a special alcoholic beverage of Goa. No longer listed as a country liquor, it is now available outside Goa as a heritage spirit.
By Partha Pratim Sharma
(The writer-photographer was invited to Cashew trail 2016 by Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa)
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