Raksi (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...

:रक्सी) or Rakshi (

Bantawa language The Bantawa Language (also referred to as An Yüng, Bantaba, Bantawa Dum, Bantawa Yong, Bantawa Yüng, Bontawa, Kirawa Yüng), is a Kirati languages spoken in the eastern Himalayan hills of eastern Nepal by Kirati Bantawa ethnic groups. They use ...

: Hengmawa/Hengma,

Limbu language Limbu (Limbu: , ''yakthuṅ pan'') is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Limbu people of Nepal and Northeastern India (particularly Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland) as well as expatriate communities in Bhutan. The Limbu refer ...

: Sijongwaa aara,

Nepal Bhasa Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepa ...

: aila) is the Nepali term for a traditional distilled alcoholic beverage in

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

(

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal ...

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...

) and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

. It is often made at home. Raksi is a strong drink, clear like vodka or gin, tasting somewhat like Japanese

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

. It is usually made from kodo millet (kodo) or rice; different grains produce different flavors. It is made by distilling a

chhaang Chhaang or chhyang (, ne, छ्याङ, new, थो:) is a Nepalese and Tibetan alcoholic beverage also popular in parts of the eastern Himalayas, Yakkha, Limbu, Dura, Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa, Tamang and Lepc ...

, a brewed alcoholic drink. The Limbus and Kirati people , for whom it is a traditional beverage, drink

tongba Tongba ( ne, तोङबा ) is a millet-based alcoholic beverage found in the eastern mountainous region of Nepal and neighbouring Indian regions of Sikkim and Darjeeling. It is the traditional drink of the Limbu people as well as people o ...

and raksi served with pieces of pork, water buffalo or goat meat

sekuwa Sekuwa is meat roasted in a natural wood fire in a traditional Nepalese country style. While the meat is still raw, it is mixed with natural herbs and spices and other ingredients. Sekuwa can be made with pork, lamb, goat or chicken, or a mixture. ...

. For the Newars, aila is indispensable during festivals and various religious rituals as

libation A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid, or grains such as rice, as an offering to a deity or spirit, or in memory of the dead. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in cultures today. Various substanc ...

, ''

prasad 200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...

'' or '' sagan''. In CNN's list of the world's 50 most delicious drinks, raksi was ranked 41st and was described as follows: "made from millet or rice, raksi is strong on the nose and sends a burning sensation straight down your throat that resolves itself into a surprisingly smooth, velvety sensation. Nepalese drink this home brew to celebrate festivals, though some think that the prized drink itself is the reason to celebrate." Because of its popularity, various

temperance movements The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders em ...

exist in Nepal, including various women's groups. Raksi, however, remains an important requirement of various religious rituals and social events, due in part perhaps to its antiseptic properties. GC-MS based metabolomics revealed medicinal compounds present in raksi collected from high altitudes of Singalila Ridge of the Himalayas. Study claims raksi contains compounds which are useful as a remedy of high altitudes sickness.

Serving

Raksi is often served in a

bhatti glass A Bhatti glass, , is a glass used in a bhatti to serve liquor. A bhatti is a common word in Nepali language to refer to a place where locally prepared alcoholic preparations are served. Most of them are located in almost every settlements and sel ...

and during special occasions, the drink is poured from a great height via a pitcher with a small spout, making an entertaining spectacle.

Production

Raksi is produced, sold and mostly consumed at rustic distilleries scattered around the countryside. Usually it is not aged before consumption. A large amount of wood is used in the distillation process.

References

{{Rice drinks

External links

Traditional way of making rice wine in Nepal
Alcohol in Nepal Indian drinks Nepalese drinks Tibetan cuisine Distilled drinks Rice wine Traditional Indian alcoholic beverages

Serving

Production

See also

References

External links