----- Forwarded message from Salus Correia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -----
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:38:33 +1000
From: Salus Correia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Caju Feni
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hello Joseph,
I have read your article about caju feni with interest! Well I do feel sorry
for you and your precious liver which bore the brunt of your search for good
caju feni!
I left Goa in 1999, and for some years before that was professionally in the
purchasing line. While working for a company that manufactured after shave
lotions and colognes in Goa, it was my job to procure large amounts of
rectified spirit for our products. At that time, the sale of rectified spirit
was controlled by the government, and we were issued permits which were dished
out as favours, at the discretion of the concerned minister for industries, who
used to convene meetings of all bulk alcohol consumers to discuss forecasts
etc.
The first time I attended one such meeting, I was shocked to find that I was
surrounded by the liquor barons! And I managed to have a chat with Mr
Shirodkar, from Agencia Real that day. I enquired as to why he and the other
barons wanted so much of rectified spirit. His reply to me still rings in my
ears: Baba re, feniac re. Portuguese tempar dongrar cazu asleat ani te
zaddamchem cuidad ghetale dongorkar. Atamchem tempar, mele te dongorkarachem
ani tanche bhurge. Dongor padd assa, punn feni piupe dha vantenim chodlea!
And he went on to tell me how they manage to procure small quantities of
genuine caju feni from their sources, and how they used that small quantity as
the essence with rectified spirit. And he also told me how some unscrupulous
manufacturers made caju feni which was 100 per cent rectified spirit, with caju
essence manufactured by some Bombay chemical essence companies! Apparently
that is the cheap feni that seems to flow in the bars in Goa today. So it
should not be a surprise if you find feni substandard etc. Good feni is good,
and does not give you the side effects that you mentioned.
Fortunately, there are still some good sources of caju feni in Goa. I like the
feni distilled by the priests at the SVD monastery at Raia, and also from the
Salesian farm at Sulcurna. Maybe you could try this stuff, and see the
difference for yourself. These priests use some modern techniques for crushing
the fruit and also for distillation. And that does make a lot of a difference,
considering hygienic conditions etc...
Enjoy your feni!!!
Regards,
Salus Correia
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