Chhaangorchhyang(Tibetan:ཆང་,Wylie:chang,Nepali:छ्याङ,Newar:थो:) is aNepaleseandTibetanalcoholic beveragepopular in parts of the easternHimalayasamong theYakkha,Limbu,Dura,Newar,Sunuwar,Rai,Bhutia,Gurung,Magar,Sherpa,Tamang,TharusandLepchacommunities. Among theLepcha,it is called Chi.[1]It is also known asjaarhin Nepal.[2]
 Nepalese chhaang brewed from rice | |
| Type | Rice beer |
|---|---|
| Region of origin |  China(Tibet) Bhutan Nepal |
| Ingredients | Rice |
| Related products | Tongba |
Geographical prevalence
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Chhaang is consumed by the ethnicallyTibetan,LadakhiandNepalese,and to a lesser degree, by the people of the neighboring nations ofPakistanandBhutan.It is usually drunk at room temperature in summer, but is often served piping-hot in brass bowls or wooden mugs when the weather is colder. TheLimbu peopleof eastern Nepal call the drinkTongba.[3][4]
Ingredients and drinking
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Chhaangis a relative ofbeer.Barley,millet(finger-millet) orricegrains are used to brew the drink. Semi-fermentedseeds of millet are served, stuffed in a barrel ofbamboocalled adhungro.Boiling water is then poured in and sipped through a narrow-bore bamboo tube called apipsing.
When the boiled barley has cooled, someyeastor driedbarmis added and it is left to stand for two or three days after fermentation begins. This concoction is calledglum.The barm consists of flour and, inBalti,often hasgingerandaconiteadded to it.[5]: 341 After fermentation is complete, water is added to the brew and it is then ready for consumption.[6]
InLahaultheglumis pressed out by hand instead of by filtering, yielding a rather cloudy drink. The residue ofmaltcan be pressed through a strainer and then mixed with water or milk and used inbakingbread or cakes.[5]: 154
NearMount EverestofNepal,chhaangis made by passing hot water through fermenting barley, and is then served in a large pot and drunk through a woodenstraw.[7]
This beverage is similar to the traditional drink of theLimbus,mandokpenaa thee.[8]
Nepalesejandrefers to the turbid liquor which is obtained by leaching out the extract with water from the fermented mash. Unlikechhangortongba,jandis served in largemugs.These alcoholic beverages are generated using a traditionalstartercalledmurcha.Murchaitself is prepared by usingyeastandmoldflora of wildherbsin cerealflours.[9]
Aconite and potential toxicity
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The plant name Aconite may refer to two plant genera in the familyRanunculaceae,namelyAconitumandEranthis,although Eranthis is known more usually asWinter Aconite.The plants used in the brewing ofChhaanginBaltistanandLadakhare, however, almost certainly referable toAconitumspecies - notably the localAconitum ferox- which have a long history of use in the folk medicinal systems of Asia.[10][11]Aconitum species are amongst the most virulentlypoisonousplants known, containing a variety of extremely toxicalkaloids,includingaconitineandpseudaconitine.
The use ofAconitumas an additive in beer-brewing is therefore a practice fraught with the danger of fatal poisoning and should on no account be undertaken by any individual attempting to replicate a traditionalChhaangrecipe. Although individualAconitumspecies vary somewhat in the degree of their toxicity, all are poisonous and, when used in traditional herbal medicine, are invariably pre-treated in various ways intended to minimise their toxicity, while retaining their assumed therapeutic properties. Nevertheless, numerous fatalities have occurred resulting from such medicinal use e.g. in certain Chinese medicinal soups consumed for their supposed tonic effects, which include augmenting physical strength, boosting the immune system, and dispelling 'wind' and 'dampness'.[12]
Culture
editChhaang is said to be the best remedy to ward off the severe cold of the mountains. It reputedly has many healing properties for conditions like thecommon cold,fevers,allergic rhinitis,andalcoholismamong others.
According to legend, chhaang is also popular with theYeti,or Himalayan Snowmen, who often raid isolated mountain villages to drink it.[13]
Social correlates
editDrinking and making offerings of chhaang are part of many pan-Tibetan social and religious occasions, including settling disputes, welcoming guests, andwooing.[14]
See also
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- Alcohol in Nepal
- Raksi– Nepalese and Tibetan distilled alcoholic beverage.
- Tibetan beer
- Tongba
- List of Indian beverages
- List of Tibetan dishes
References
edit- ^"Chhang: The Beer of the Himalayas".Live History India. 28 May 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 27 January 2021.Retrieved19 September2018.
- ^The Rough Guide to Nepal,Apa Publications (UK), 2018ISBN1786719975.
- ^Sarda, Kritika (28 May 2017)."Chhaang: The Beer of the Himalayas".LiveStoryIndia. Archived fromthe originalon 27 January 2021.Retrieved19 September2018.
- ^Shashi Bala Singh (4 February 2010)."Chhang - A barley based alcoholic beverage of Ladakh, India".Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge.11(1):190–193.
- ^abJaschke, H. Ä.A Tibetan-English Dictionary.(1881). Reprint: (1987). Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi.ISBN81-208-0321-3.
- ^Das, Sarat Chandra. (1902).Lhasa and Central Tibet,p. 23 and note. Reprint: (1988). Mehra Offset Press, Delhi.
- ^Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005)Tibet.6th Edition, p. 75.ISBN1-74059-523-8.
- ^P.75 Handbook of Plant-Based Fermented Food and Beverage Technology, Second Edition By Y. H. Hui, E. Özgül Evranuz CRC Press, 17 May 2012
- ^J. David Owens (Editor)Indigenous Fermented Foods of Southeast Asia (2014),p. 142, atGoogle Books
- ^Singhuber, Judith; Zhu, Ming; Prinz, Sonja; Kopp, Brigitte (29 October 2009)."Aconitumin Traditional Chinese Medicine—A valuable drug or an unpredictable risk? ".Journal of Ethnopharmacology.126(1). Elsevier:18–30.doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.07.031.PMID19651200.Retrieved11 August2020.
Aconitumspecies have been used in China as an essential drug in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for 2000 years.
- ^"Aconite (fu zi)".Acupuncture Today.Retrieved11 August2020.
- ^Chan, TY (2014)."Aconitum alkaloid poisoning related to the culinary uses of aconite roots".Toxins (Basel).6(9):2605–11.doi:10.3390/toxins6092605.PMC4179150.PMID25184557.
- ^"Yeti: The Snow-Man".Travel Journey.Retrieved2020-12-25.
- ^"Bhutanese".Retrieved5 October2014.