Over the years, my father joked about a drink, I knew little of, “fire water” he called it. A clear transparent brew made from fermented rice, treated to a distilling process. Smooth and smoky with a distinct warmth at the back of your throat when swallowed, hence the name “fire water.” His uncles and friends at a young age introduced him to it. In my experience, through travel and cooking, it’s common to see farming communities have some form of local brew, made from the crop their region is known for. Almost all rice-growing regions in India will have their local equivalents and migrant communities will innovate with local ingredients to produce similar brews.
In 2020, when “Cultures Group,” an online community reached out for information on fermentation in Coorg. It was the perfect opportunity to research and document the infamous fire water. Rice wine and the fire water locally called bathasarai (see below to know the differences) had nicknames like gejje, nelle rasa (rice juice) and sentimental ones like mane’ kaara (house person) both dated back to days, when Kodavas were primarily paddy growers.
During one of my visits to learn about the brews, I was in conversation with my uncle. We discussed varieties of rice and which ones might have been used. One in particular stood out, Boliya. A paddy farmer and coffee grower, now 87 yrs old, his description of a lifetime in Coorg, is nothing short of a fantasy novel.
Sometime last year, on a sourcing visit for an upcoming event, I stopped by the old local mill for supplies. It’s now a habit to ask about Boliya, with little expectation to find any. This time however, the mill owner went to the back of his godown and pulled out a small quantity. I felt like I’d struck gold!
He mentioned supply was irregular and he was apprehensive to procure more, as it was a commercially unsuccessful variety. In 2021, my interest in the lost rice, led me to Deepa Reddy, founder of Shalikuta. With hopes of learning more about Boliya our conversation took a surprise turn. I was now part of a team, researching and writing about heritage varieties of rice.
At the end of my brief stint with them, I came away with a sense of reassurance. The information that Shalikuta would publish will be deep, nuanced and inclusive. A platform where people like me could study and connect their lived experiences and find a unique narrative. Boliya made us reminisce and piqued our curiosity. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see a resurrection soon!
Thank you, to my friends and family for sharing your knowledge and personal stories with me. This article would be incomplete without you.
Anjali Ganapathy is a chef and curator of bespoke Kodava dining experiences.
Kodava Homemade rice and raisin wine
Ingredients
Method
- In a clean and sanitized bharani or glass jar, add the washed rice, rehydrated raisins, yeast and water. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
- Cover the mouth of the bharani /glass jar with a muslin cloth and fasten. Place the lid on top. Stir daily for approximately 3 weeks.
- The resulting liquid will be translucent with some grain and grape residue.
- Strain and transfer to a sterilized glass bottle.
- Allow the wine to rest for a week, additional residues will settle then consume.
Notes
- There is no added sugar, yeast or raisins and other ingredients to influence the fermentation process. Technically, this is closer to brews like Shochu (Japan), Baiju (China) and Soju (Korea).
- Bathasarai is made by placing whole paddy in a distillation container, with little water, and allowing this to ferment for 30 days. The fermented liquid builds and collects drip by drip. The liquid is then distilled. 30 days distillation gives 1 liter, apprximately. Ideally this is stored in a traditional paddy storage area, the “Pathaya.”
- Note that this is a rough outline of the process for informational purposes only! Home distillation is illegal, and it is not advised or encouraged to try this at home.
