So how do they brew this magical and mysterious concoction? We picked the mind of Hansel Vaz, and his reservoir of wisdom spilled the secrets behind a good Feni. The founder of Cazulo Feni and owner of the world’s first-ever Feni cellar in the world, Hansel gave us insights into the Naked Feni and why it is cherished by Goans. We couldn’t help but be fascinated!
So let’s begin right at the start, when Feni didn’t exist in Goa. That was until the Portuguese colonists trudged in with their chillies, potatoes, tomatoes and... cashews! Yes! Cashew came to Goa all the way from Brazil. The goal was to prevent topsoil erosion with the trees during Goa’s heavy monsoons. Who knew it’d spread its roots straight into our hearts!
To begin with, the cashew apples are collected when they ripen in March and fall off the trees by pickers known as cazkars. Next, they’re crushed by stomping on them. This is done on a basin cut of rock called the colmbi. The juice is then transferred into a mud pot which is buried in the earth for three days to ferment the juice. The pulp that remains after squashing the fruit is used to extract Neero, a refreshing nonalcoholic summer beverage.
These earthen pots are almost 1 - 1.5 metres long in diameter, thin like eggshells, and hence extremely light and easily breakable. Known as kodem or bhann these pots are no longer made and the ones used currently have all been unearthed by careful and tedious digging from older distilleries! What’s more, according to Vaz, his distillery is one of the only two that use these pots to make feni; others use plastic drums.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2021 من Touriosity Travelmag.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2021 من Touriosity Travelmag.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
10 Must Visit Food Streets Of India
India as a country enjoys huge diversity in every aspect, be it in terms of languages, communities, religions, looks of people, geographical terrains, weather conditions, and so on. In such a diverse country it was but natural to have a great diversity of cuisines too. As a result of the diversity of races, communities and religion, the impact of geographical advantages and restrictions and prolonged exposure to various external influences over many centuries, the various regions of the country has been able to develop a unique culinary portfolio. As such there is nothing like Indian Cuisine in general, it is a group of cuisines coming together, viz., South Indian cuisine, Punjabi cuisine, Rajathani cuisine, Goan cuisine, Kashmiri cuisine, Bengali Cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine and so on. A great way to explore this diverse food portfolio is to visit the local street food markets while visiting different towns and cities across the country. These street food markets are heaven for foodies. They have a character of their own and you are ready to give up the idea of dining in a upmarket restaurant in order to grab that experience of eating amidst all that chaos and being a part of that character for a while.
Darjelling: The Foodies' Paradise
Darjeeling, also known as the Queen of Hills, has a colonial past. Back in the days when Calcutta used to be the capital of the British Raj, Darjeeling happened to be the most coveted hill station for the Gora Sahibs and the Mems. It was only an overnight train from Calcutta, followed by a 12-hour journey on the toy train from Siliguri. Even to date, the place is covered with buildings of the colonial era, which are now occupied by government offices.
A gastronomical trip to Kashmir
Kashmiri cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of the Mughals, the Arabs and the local style of cooking of the Kashmiri pundits. While most of the signature delicacies of the region are non-vegetarian, there are many interesting vegetarian dishes to try as well. In the non-vegetarian dishes, mutton, chicken or fish is the main ingredient. There is abundant use of spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron giving the food not only exquisite taste but also rich aroma. In this article we bring to our readers 16 ‘must try’ items from Kashmiri cuisine.
Goan Curries: SEVEN CURRIES TO TRY WHEN YOU'RE IN GOA
Admit it, Goan cuisine is comfort food in itself, hitting all the right notes, while simultaneously bringing all the essential nutrition to the table!
FENI: Goa's Magic Concoction
Come March and every corner of Goa is teeming with the sweet aroma of ripe Cashew apples. Goans get ready to not only roast the cashew nut, but also to brew Goa’s favourite elixirs - Urrack and Feni. While Urrack has a very short shelf life, Feni can be stored and aged for up to 10 years! Just like wine, the more you age the Feni, the pricier it gets. A delicious drink replete with fruity, pungent and earthy aromas, Feni gets at least half of Goa’s population reminiscing nostalgically. It is an emotion stronger than wine or whiskey and it has us and many tourists, swooning over its unbeatable goodness in all its myriad flavours!
Luxury travel In The Deccan Odyssey
Experiences sometimes crystalize into key memories that we can dig into and extract a handful of happiness from - as many times as we wish. And I can close my eyes anytime and let the Deccan Odyssey slide show play.
Dream DESTINATION FOR EVERY BIKER
The sky-high mountain passes of Ladakh, accompanied by the barren landscape, the picturesque views composed of lakes and mountains, and the deserted roads beckon bikers for the experience of a lifetime. It indeed is a dream destination for every biker.
Caravan trip-On the road with a pet
Amit Singh aka Desi Tourist is a travel vlogger who recently made a long caravan trip with his pet pug Popu. The trip was not only rejuvenating because it came after months of staying home during the lockdown, it was also one of realisations about the relation between humans and their best friend – dogs. Team Touriosity loved this idea of a caravan trip, as well as travel with a pet. So we interviewed Amit for an insight into his unique experience. Following are excerpts from the interview:
7 Indian Prisons One Can Visit As A Tourist
If you are looking for a fun-filled vacation, this is not an article to please you. This is for those who like to experiment with new and unique experiences. Spending time behind bars in a dark prison cell, wearing a jail uniform made of khaki and having the basic jail food there, may be a nightmare for most, but adventure enthusiasts are increasingly being drawn to prison tourism of this kind globally. India too has caught up to the race and today there are a few prisons in India which are tourist attractions for various reasons. While some are famous historically, others have interesting museums and yet others provide pay and stay facilities. One does not really need to commit a crime to experience these prisons nor a bail for release.
PRISON TOURS as part of Dark Tourism
One of the first signs of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate. In this there is also a residue of belief that during the move the master will chance to come along the corridor, look at the prisoner and say: “This man is not to be locked up again, he is to come with me.” – Franz Kafka in Blue Octavo Notebooks.
