Mahua, a liquor made from the Mahua tree, will soon be sold as a ‘Heritage Liquor’ in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan On Monday, he said that the government will soon bring a new excise policy so that tribals in the state will be able to make and sell liquor in the traditional way from the flowers of Mahua tree.
For the uneducated, Mahua Madhuca longifolia is a tropical tree found largely in the Central and North Indian forests. It has earned and maintained for many years the reputation of producing alcohol and narcotics that are unique to this country. As such, legalizing it is an important decision, which will now ensure greater outreach and cultural and culinary interest.
We contacted some experts to understand what they think about this decision. Nutrition and culinary consultant Sangeeta Khanna, who teaches food design with a focus on sustainable food systems, said that until four decades ago, mahua was a part of the food system, especially for those who depended on forests. “Predominantly tribal and other rural communities. Wine, of course, was part of the culture and it still is, but they mostly consumed flowers and fruits, and even the seeds were used to make oil—a good quality cold— Pressed oil,” she said.
it’s flower season #mahuaMILF a favorite among #Tribesman,
Flowers are among the best natural hydration supplements #Heat trek in #Forest,
don’t forget to #Taste When you come in front of them..#fieldwork pic.twitter.com/ScwINrsfN8
— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) April 7, 2021
Khanna explained that with the availability of similar products in the markets over the years, the dependence on the Mahua tree and consumption of its products has also come down.
“Mahua was also used for medicinal purposes; Now it has been reduced to making liquor only. However, in the next few years it may get the status of good quality Mahua wine in India. But right now, the tribals do not disclose that they drink alcohol, because of the negative connotations associated with it. It is no secret that wine making happened anyway, but over the years, the traditional use of the tree has been lost,” she remarked.
Kurush Dalal, an archaeologist and culinary anthropologist, said it was “about time” that brewing was legalized. ,[The brewing] It has probably been done by these people for the last thousand years. Their rights were trampled during the colonial period to such an extent that Mahua trees were destroyed, as the consumption of alcohol was considered to be impolite from the point of view of purity. Mahua is technically the only flower that is fermented for alcohol. This makes it a unique product – which requires a GI tag. It is such a wonderful wine wealth that our country has that is not celebrated. ,
#mahua The Tree of Life of Tribal India. Treasure of many medicinal properties.#native tree #mahua tree #madhyapradesh #Tribesman #Forest #mahuva pic.twitter.com/BZTuS9sIJ3
— wild and free (@wild_n_free007) April 8, 2021
According to Dalal, there is a need for a regulation to “go beyond the tribals and allow others to do the same”. “If it is tribal in particular, they need to figure out how to take advantage of it. There have been festivals of Mahua for years – it is eaten, its oil is eaten, the tree is literally worshipped. The incredible thing is that Mahua flowers are never plucked from the trees. They always collect only when they fall. This is a sustainable way in which Mahua has been consumed by tribals, and a network is needed to support them,” he told this outlet.
There are many states of India where Mahua tree is found and grown. It is adapted to dry climate and is seen in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, parts of Telangana, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal and even Tamil Nadu.
Pushpesh Pant, an Indian educationist, food critic and historian, said that legalizing Mahua does not make any difference as the tribals are making it of good quality and that too of good quality. “Wherever there is a ban, there is illicit liquor, death and misery. this legalization of the indigenous thing is a bit concert,
Pant said that Mahua tree is synonymous with mild intoxication. “mentioned in the Vedas”Beer‘, but not Mahua, as the Vedas were written in the North-West Frontier Province of undivided Punjab where the Mahua tree does not grow.
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