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Feni
- Goa's "National" Drink
Gently swaying coconut palms and bright red or yellow cashew apples can
be found occupying Goa's half landmass under crops and their sap or juice
is the source of Goa's popular "national" drink, Feni.
Making Of Feni
Palm Feni is pure but a strong drink ranking with the strongest spirits.
It comes from Toddy, which is produced by tapping the sap from the base of
the young palm shoots. Growers have to choose between producing Feni or
coconuts because once tapped, the young shoots cannot go on to produce
nuts, but the decision can be reversed with the next growth of shoots
according to market demand.
Unfermented, the Toddy make a nourishing and refreshing drink and when
strained and boiled down to crystallising point, it produces palm jaggery,
the coarse brown slabs of sugar used in Goan sweet dishes.
Within hours of tapping, the Toddy ferments to about 4% of alcohol.
Often, it is drunk soon afterwards, but when distilled, the first gives
the more potent Urrack, a favourite drink sold in the local bars.
Types Of Feni
The famous palm Feni is the result of the second distillation. It's name
in Goa's local language 'Konkani' means 'froth', a name attributed to its
reaction during processing.
A second type of Feni that is even more popular is 'Caju' Feni derived
from the cashew apple. The Cashew is the legacy from Portuguese who
introduced it to Goa from Brazil. Cashew Feni is usually drunk after the
first distillation, but one can also find it double-distilled, flavoured
with Ginger, Cumin or Sasparilla to produce a smooth liqueur. 