Keep it pure in Goa — distillery 'caju feni' pure

Another 'Caju Fest' is over, and another caju harvest is almost coming to an end in Goa, and there have been cries that the harvest has declined. As long as caju plantations get burnt in the summer — it rarely happened in the past — and the fruit habitat gets demographically changed, there is little one can do.

Caju means many things to many people. But, to the seniors of Goa, it is one drink that leaves the drinker with a clean high because it is one of those rare drinks where neither alcohol nor molasses is added during preparation.

It is called pure caju feni when it is fermented from the juice obtained from the fruit. From the first fermentation, we get urrak, which was initially drunk warm from the distillery. Over time, it started being stored in a freezer, and then, served chilled because it does not have a shelf life.

Traditional distillers tend to ferment the juice two or three times more to produce feni (which is then stored in glass bottles or containers, called ) that normally lasts till the next batch arrives.

As long as caju plantations get burnt in the summer — it rarely happened in the past — and the fruit habitat gets demographically changed, there is little one can do.

Many believe that the older the caju, or the longer it is served, the better it tastes. This is wrong!

Caju has always been a drink enjoyed from one season to the next, and best from the monsoon till the next harvest. It loses its taste and high if stored for too long.

The fruit is usually crushed using the feet, but mechanical crushers are now being used since few people opt to go up the hill to start and finish the process of producing the drink, which was once found in every bar and in every Goan home.

There was a time when caju distillers would travel across Goa delivering their product to fixed homes in brass pots. Those visits were customary till at least a decade ago.

If there has been a decline in the production of , it is not just because the harvest is low, but because there has been a proportionate increase in the number of nouveau rich, for whom being seen drinking caju is considered a social shame.

The 'new locals' added salt and gradually, the chilli appeared — whether it was meant to make the glass look good or the drink taste better is still being debated.

After coconut feni, is one of the State’s greatest contributions to the local beverage scene. It is the least addictive because it has zero chemicals, and hence, a moderate hangover.

Caju tastes best dry. Its flavour is next best with water, and stretchable with soda and lime, or simply Limca or lemonade. Through time and with the coming of second home guests, the drink is seeing not just a revolution, but is even being given a new history.

Similar is the tale of urrak, which was always enjoyed with lime, lemonade soda or Limca. The 'new locals' added salt and gradually, the appeared — whether it was meant to make the glass look good or the drink taste better is still being debated.

With mountains, where caju could once be found, disappearing, the fruit is now being procured from neighbouring states, and that is going to have an adverse effect on the taste because a caju fruit from Goa tastes different from one that comes from elsewhere. Hence the for the Goan caju.

The fruit is now being procured from neighbouring states, and that is going to have an adverse effect on the taste because a caju fruit from Goa tastes different from one that comes from elsewhere. Hence the GI tag for the Goan caju.

The State recently celebrated the , and the spelling did not really matter, for what’s in a name if we really do not care about its habitat. As the years keep rolling and the habitat keeps dwindling, there will come a time when the fruit and drink will be part of our folklore.

Just like adulterated caju nuts are now being sold, the pure drink will no longer be available.