The iconic drink of Assam, Judima has become the first traditional brew of northeast India to get a geographical indication (GI) tag. Judima is a rice wine brewed by the Dimasa community hailing from Assam’s Dima Hasao district. The GI tag will not only give the drink a global recognition but will also render special rights to people entitled to use it. This will prevent the misuse of the drink by third parties. A geographical indication (GI) tag is awarded to products which have a specific geographical origin.
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How Is Judima Drink Prepared?
Judima, also known as Dimasa rice wine is essentially a homemade fermented drink made from sticky rice. The process involves steaming the rice and blending it with local herbs. The extracted liquid is the rice wine which has a sweet taste. It takes around seven days to prepare Judima. The Youth Association for Development and Empowerment had applied for the tag in 2018. A woman’s group in Assam named Dimajik Hasao reapplied for it again in 2019. Now, Judima has finally become the first drink of northeast India to bag the GI tag. According to a Hindustan Times report, Subodh Maibongsha, head of Krishi Vikash Kendrahe of Assam’s Diphu has said that the drink could get the tag earlier but the process got delayed due to the COVID-19 situation.
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Other Popular Indian Products With GI Tag
Darjeeling tea had become the first product in India to get a GI-tag in 2004-2005. Recently, Manipur’s Tamenglong orange and Hathei chilli also received the tag. Other Indian products with the prestigious tag include Lucknow chikankari, Mysore silk, chanderi saree, puppets of Rajasthan, himsagar mango and Firozabad glasswork, among many others.