Tongba ( ne, तोङबा ) is a millet-based alcoholic beverage found in the eastern mountainous region of

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

and neighbouring Indian regions of

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

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 ...

. It is the traditional drink of the

Limbu people The Limbu (exonym) or Yakthung (endonym) are a Sino-Tibetan indigenous tribe (Bhot-Burmeli) of the Himalayan region of eastern Nepal, Sikkim, and western Bhutan. The original name of the Limbu is ''Yakthung'' () or ''Yakthum''. Limbu males ar ...

as well as people of other Kirati communities and many other ethnic group of Nepal. Tongba is culturally and religiously important to the Limbus; offering it is a sign of respect to a guest, and the drink is also an important element of special occasions and festivals.

Preparation

''Tongba'' is actually the name of the vessel that holds the fermented millet beverage known as ''mandokpenaa thee''. Mandokpenaa thee is prepared by cooking and fermenting

whole grain A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. As part of a general healthy diet, consumption of whole grains is associated ...

millet. The cooked millet is cooled and mixed with khesung (which is a source of molds, bacteria and yeast).Ethnic Fermented Foods and Alcoholic Beverages of Asia, Front Cover By Jyoti Prakash Tamang, Springer, 5 Aug 2016 - Technology & Engineering - 409 pages, P.59 Then the mass is collected and placed in a woven bamboo basket lined with green leaves or plastic, covered with thick folds of cloth and allowed to remain in a warm place for 1–2, days depending upon the temperature. The sweet mass is then packed tightly into an earthenware pot or plastic jars and the opening is usually sealed off to prevent air from entering. After 7–15 days, also depending upon the temperature, the fermentation is complete and the mass is converted to mandokpenaa thee. The time mandokpenaa thee is left to remain undisturbed in the pot after completion of fermentation leads to its maturation. While it matures, the flavours intensify yet become more mellow. Traditionally, it is stored for about six months.

Serving

When mature, the fermented millet is put into a container, the tongba, which is then filled with boiled water. It is then left undisturbed for about five minutes before consuming it. A fine bamboo straw with a blind end, but perforated on the side to act as a filter, is inserted into the container to suck out the warm water and alcohol from the millet grains. More hot water is added as the tongba becomes dry, and the process is repeated until the alcohol is exhausted.

References

{{reflist Alcohol in Nepal Fermented drinks Types of beer Nepalese drinks Indian drinks Limbu culture Millets

Preparation

Serving

See also

References