Meghalaya Chubitchi
DownloadMeghalaya is renowned for its stunning hills, rich tribal culture, and distinctive cuisine. One of its traditional beverages, Chubitchi, is an important cultural staple and identity marker for over a million people. It is generally a weak home- brewed beer of a milky colour made from rice or grains. Meghalaya's Chubitchi is another extraordinary, manufactured goods, which represent Meghalaya's rich culture and tradition.
How Rice Turns into a Drink
The process of Chubitchi is like other fermented drinks, but its uniqueness comes in the mixture of herbs and the use of natural clay pots for the fermentation. Rice and plants are produced locally, these plants are known for their medicinal properties. Locals carefully mix rice with herbs, and then the prepared paste is poured into earthen pots. To cover the pots, banana leaves are used. Pots are kept at an ideal temperature for the fermentation process, which usually takes up to 7 to 8 days. After the fermentation, all solid and unwanted particles are filtered out from the pots. Finally, a perfect beverage is ready to drink. To consume Chubitchi traditionally, locals used “Abet”. This tool is a ladle made from a dried gourd by the Garo people.
Recognition and Reward
For the Garo tribes, Chubitchi is not just another cuisine or drink; for them, it holds much value. This drink cannot be separated from their diet, culture, and life. It is considered an important part of Garo culture. During religious rituals, meetings, social gatherings, birth, weddings, during the Wangala (harvest festival) & also serve as refreshments for weary field labourers & guests. The uniqueness and cultural significance of this drink made it to the Geographical Indication (GI) list in India. The government officially awarded the “Meghalaya Chubitchi” GI tag. This tag safeguards its identity, recognises its cultural importance, and promotes it on the global stage.
