Drink To Glory In Goa - Goa Feni

Think of Goa and the first thing that comes to your mind ‘Fish and Feni’. Feni is a fermented drink made from either Cashew Fruit or Coconut Toddy. Though coconut Feni has its charm, cashew Feni is preferred by many because of its unique flavour. 

Feni is still mostly made the traditional way. Traditionally the cashew fruits are crushed manually and piled in a basin carved on the rock on the hillside and a heavy bolder is kept on the top. The basin has an outlet from where the juice is collected in huge earthen pots. These pots are then buried in the soil and allowed to ferment naturally. The hot and humid climate of Goa provides the right atmosphere for fermentation. The fermented juice is then distilled in huge earthen or copper pots.

The whole distillation process takes around 8 hours and the aroma of Feni fills the whole area. The distilled liquor is graded into three – Urrac, Cazulu and Feni. The Urrac is produced from the first distillation. It is light and has the strength of 14 to 16 grao and can be consumed neat. Cazulu is from the second distillation and is moderately strong, but is no longer available in the market. Feni is got from the third distillation process and has strength of 20 to 24 grao and has a long shelf life. Although many Goans drink it neat, it may be strong for many and can be taken with ice, soda and lime cordial or tonic water or combined with fruit juices too.