Indigenous Alcoholic Beverage ‘Chakti’ of High Altitude Bhotiya Community of Chaudans Valley of Kumaun Himalayas

Abstract

The traditional foods and beverages are an indicative of the simplicity and uniqueness of the life of tribal people living in close proximity of nature as well as each other. One such community is the Bhotiya tribe of Uttarakhand residing in the high altitude Indian Himalayan Region, known globally for its ethnic knowledge and traditional practices. They have old age traditions of producing indigenous alcoholic beverages. The present study undertakes one such practice of preparing a traditional drink called ‘Chakti’ using a wheat-based ethnic starter culture ‘balma’ having Thymus linearis (Jungali ajwain) as the main ingredient. The traditional drink is not only a part of their household or societal ceremonies and festivals but is a source of nutrition as well as income generation and livelihood. Furthermore, there is a need of assessment and documentation of these traditional beverages in terms of quality so as to with the aim of preserving indigenous knowledge as well as utilise it accordingly.