Standardisation of Feni to be a game changer

The two popular types of Feni Goa is known for are - Coconut Feni and Cashew Feni. In terms of production, Coconut Feni is older than Cashew Feni. Originally, the locals made Feni with coconut which was available in abundance in Goa. It gets its name from the Sanskrit word phena.

Historians describe Feni as the “Distilled liquour with a distinctive flavour developed in Goa by Catholic monks from the red ‘fruit’ of the cashew tree. Distilled coconut toddy is also sometimes loosely termed as Feni”. It is versatile and can be flavoured with fruits, coffee, spices and perhaps even chocolate.

Feni is a twice-distilled liquor derived from cashew fruit, the outer fruit surrounding the cashew nut. Feni has been a part of Goan food tradition for over 400 years. It is a fruity spirit with a distinct, pungent smell that could be quite overwhelming for some. A friend once said his wife does not like the smell of Feni. My advice was to tell her that he drank Feni to keep the other girls away. On a more serious note, it is the aroma that gives Feni its aura.

Sattari is a small town in Goa which is famous for being the Feni capital of India. Goa always was blessed with coconuts and palm trees and hence the locals used to utilise coconuts but Portuguese invasion also brought exotic varieties of cashew trees and the fruit (cashew apple fruit) was then used for Feni.

Cashew Feni purists believe that Feni distilled from juice that has been stomped is by far the best. Cashew stomping is a relatively gentle way of managing the process of crush, now often replaced with mechanical pulpers and the hydraulic press. The trick is not to shred the fruit, but to gently squeeze it open so the juices are expressed without releasing the acidic sap that is not desirable. But even though they may have the latest in gleaming cashew press technology – Pinjre, parked at their Colmbi-stomping pit, a number of distilleries still practise the retro charm of stomping cashews in this fast-changing Goa.