Ara (Bhutan)
The dragon kingdom's homebrew: ara — Bhutan's fermented (and sometimes distilled) drink of rice, maize, wheat or barley, made in farmhouses across the kingdom, served warm with butter and egg (the festive 'ara with egg') at losar and archery matches.
What it is
The dragon kingdom's homebrew: ara — Bhutan's fermented (and sometimes distilled) drink of rice, maize, wheat or barley, made in farmhouses across the kingdom, served warm with butter and egg (the festive 'ara with egg') at losar and archery matches. Origins: ara-making is Bhutanese farmhouse heritage (mostly women's craft); it greets guests before tea in the east and centre. Made from: cooked grain, marcha-type yeast cakes (phab), fermentation in wooden/bamboo vessels; the distilled version is stronger and rarer. How it's made: 1) Cook the grain; cool; add phab. 2) Ferment days to weeks. 3) Serve warm (with roasted rice snacks, zaw). Served: at farmhouses in Bumthang and Trashigang, in small wooden cups (dappa). Flavor: sour-sweet, warming, grainy. Strength: 10-20% (fermented), higher distilled. Culture: ara is Bhutanese hospitality at its most personal — every house's tastes different. See also: Nepal's Raksi and Tongba (the Himalayan siblings).
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