> > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > goanet-digest Saturday, August 24 2002 Volume 01 : Number 4236 > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > > Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 14:14:15 EDT > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Goanet] An answer to babble about Feni by Gerard Fernandes. > > When someone is intoxicated with Feni and writes on a topic he knows very > little about, one gives a false and misleading impression to others. I have > observed that in India, when one wants to know the way to a particular > destination, it is necessary to ask more than one person the way to get > there. This is because those who do not know attempt to know and mislead > others. I insist that if one does not know the answer, he should admit it and > 'shut his face'. The article on the topic of feni is misleading. > Quite true - if unecessarily unkind... cf " Oh yess! Oh yess " Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk
> Feni can be translated as brandy as in the alcohol industry. Not so sure. Brandy is grape alcohol. Feni is (like brandy) a distillate Feni is > made from the Coconut Palm tree or the Cashew fruit (also erronously referred > to as an apple). The first distillation is called hurrack which is the origin > for the word arrak. The Arabs transported this 'staggering juice' to the west > where it was known as Arrak. This distillate can be re-distilled to increase > the percentage of alcohol. > Only Arrack is not so known in the West, but for "Batavia Arrak" which is an Indonesian distillate much appreciated in ... Germany (Unknown elsewhere) Arrack in Arab lands usually is a Pernod/Ouzo like drink (anisseed, colours white when water is added), known as 'Raki' in Turkey. Raki in Greek is a grappa like stuff - how confusing...# > If Dr. Vijay Maliya and his United Breweries (sounds like his gang > in shining armour or his football team) has the pipe dream of exporting Feni > from Goa, he ought to increase the number of cashew trees that are grown over > this tiny state. He refers to the smell of Feni as 'unfortunate' but he ought > to realise that the smell which is very important, is as obnoxious as the > fruit Durrien which ought to be eaten with the nostrils blocked. Feni will never take of in the West because it's much too similar (the palm variety) to other 'white' alcohols (which are not popular anyway, unless very upmarket fruit (raspberry, pear, etc) distillates, or 'fashion' grappas. The smell is an added demerit. The smell itself is an acquired taste I think, some Chinese alcohols, greatly prised in the Middle Empire, smell absolutely goulish to untrained nostrils. > Connoisseurs of liquor find Feni harsh and produces a hangover. Much of the > cashew nuts sold in Goa are brought into the state from adjoining states. Due > to restrictions in the neighbouring states regarding distilling liquor, I > would doubt if much Feni comes to Goa from outside the state. Those of us who > prize that beautiful bottle of Feni in their cabinets or bars, should realise > that it is sometimes just plain alcohol (made from sugarcane or starch that > is fermented and distilled) with synthetic caju flavour added. That is the scourge of *all* generic alcohols, brandy, rhums, whisky etc. etc. In Germany & Italy they're honest about it and label it 'Rhum Fantasy' - sometimes. I guess the same applies to nearly all brands of IMFL. In Norway, where the alcohol excise is surealistic (US$ 50 per litre orso), an moonlighting reigns supreme, you can buy small bottle of essence in all supermarkets, 100 different tastes (includes Tia Maria, Tequilla, Cointreau & what have you...) It is not > possible that all the feni smuggled out of Goa and drunk within the state to > be pure caju feni. The toddy from the coconut tree (not young trees as the > posting states) is used for Goa jaggery, vinegar, for fermentation of rice > cakes (sanna) and for the production of coconut hurrack and Feni. Many are > unaware that Caju Feni distilled from hurrack and having a potency milder > than Feni is called Cazulo. Many a Goan prefers hurrack from Caju or Palm as > it is not as harsh as the strong stuff. Less hangovers and with lime and > soda, it is a pleasant drink. > I used to drink very moderate quantities of Palm feni while in Goa. Was a bit like Aguardiente/ Grappa. (but harsher indeed) > Now Kingfisher reigns supreme in Goa because of arm twisting by > the brewers of this beer. They have seen the demise of San Miguel and are > attempting to do the same to Forsters and Arlem and other makes. Kingfisher > has used these tactics to dominate the beer trade. They encourage bars to > sell kingfisher by giving them complimentary items like glasses, coolers and > beer mats. The marketing of their beers by other manufacturers is not as > aggressive as Kingfisher's and hence the meagre sale of their beer. Winning > international prizes is no criteria to be considered the best as in the > beauty contests. It is diabolic to boost a girl like Aishwarya Rai or Rita > Faria as a world beauty as I see God's creation of every woman, as beautiful. > Sounds our own national Heineken (aka 'horse-piss') > > There have been moves by Goans in the West to import Feni > without success as the market is not there. Goans prefer Scotch to Feni when > living abroad. Many in India too shun feni in preference of scotch. > Kingfisher beer is sold mainly in Indian restaurants abroad because of > nostalgia. Having lived in Germany and seen almost all of Europe I would > choose Stella Artois (Belgian) beer over a glass of kingfisher and this I > consider not the best European beer. I have also made wine from Californian > grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, etc.) and taken a bottle or two for > friends in Goa to taste. Making beer is easy but obtaining good hops, malt > and water is a perquisite to making good beer. I place much importance to > Adam's ale in the making of good food including bread and beer. > our friend is rambling soemwhat here, but that's Ok... > Goa is bereft of vineyards and Goa's wine industry depends on imported > grapes. It would have been simpler for Dr. Maliya to make his wine where > grapes are grown and avoid the cost of transportation if the State where the > grapes are grown (I suppose Nasik in Maharashtra) would permit. The wine > industry is small in India but is increasing with many locals taking to wine > to 'avoid heart attacks'. The Kashmir conflict dampens the Indian wine > industry. This is unfortunate. Finally calling Kingfisher world famous is > utterly false. Ask any foreigner is he has heard of Kingfisher and he will > say yes referring to the bird but Kingfisher beer will leave him baffled. > Goa wine is a disaster save for 'port'. If Goans like only sweet wine, they should stick to that. (Dr Ivo should be aware, however, that we in the EU have an *ocean* of sweetened wine ready to assault his shore at US 2 per ... hectolitre, and another ocean of brandy (distilled from unsold plonk - cheap wine) going for the same rate... ciao, p+D! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? 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