I Tried Handia, A Tribal Rice Beer From Odisha Brewed In Earthern Pots, And It Was…

“Should I drink it straight out of this bowl?” I asked in utter bewilderment. I clasped a metal bowl, larger than my face. In it, I was told by my Odia driver, was the state’s indigenous rice beer— Handia. Brewed in earthen claypots or handis, the milky-white liquid is a staple of tribals native to Odisha’s forested Mayurbhanj district. The saree-clad Handia vendor, the proud owner of the shack, coaxed me to try it. Her reason? The alcoholic beverage is believed to be so healthy that she even serves it to her children every night before they go to sleep. Near Similipal National Park in Odisha, I tried Handia for the first time, and it was…

Odisha’s Traditional Rice Beer Made In Handis

It all started on a cloudy October afternoon near Similipal National Park in Odisha— the only place in the world to spot melanistic tigers in the wild. Owing to flooded pathways in the buffer zone, our much-awaited tiger safari got tearfully cancelled. Much to the delight of the tigers (we presume), who could enjoy some quiet time without prying human eyes! But for the three women who flew from different corners of India for a forest adventure, it was heartbreaking.

Almost like a silver lining on the gloomy cloud towering over us, our driver, Jakesh, suggested a local experience we couldn’t refuse! An offer that literally had us in “high spirits” in the middle of the forest. Handia, Odisha’s well-kept secret, stays within the confines of Mayurbanj. Every morning, tribals set up small shacks to sell a rice beer that’s brewed for days in large earthen pots. A fermenting agent of 21 herbs aids the process. By afternoon, just like the brew, its warm hosts and the makeshift shacks disappear.

Tiny Shacks Near Similipal Sell Handia With Local Bites

We gingerly entered one such shack by the roadside. A tribal woman with a warm smile offered us a large metal bowl filled to the brim with a liquid that at first glance looked like chaas (buttermilk). At first sip (directly from the bowl), it tasted like buttermilk too! Slightly grainy, sour, the taste grows on you.

I was told Handia has a low alcohol content and is believed to have many health benefits. One of which is warding off fever, apart from improving sleep. While we sat in the shack, downing the traditional Odia spirit, we were offered a couple of chakna (snackable) options. In two small steel plates came fried dough balls(made of maida and sliced onions), and groundnuts tossed with diced onions and tomatoes, flavoured with salt and local spices.

The humid weather, forest-y air, and cloudy skies set the mood. On those rickety wooden benches under a thatched roof, we created our own forest memory. There wasn’t a tiger in sight! But there was room for a new cultural experience, and a little monkey business (like filling empty water bottles with Handia).

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A Taste Of The Forest, Served By Its Residents

After having quenched our thirst with a litre of Handia, I have to admit, I did feel quite relaxed. Maybe a little sleepy. Amongst the tribal inhabitants of Similipal, women Handia drinkers were perfectly normal. There was a warmth in their hospitality, an eagerness to introduce us city mice to a staple that’s a part and parcel of their lives.

Two litres of Handia and a couple of plates of house-made bites cost us ₹25. An amount that seemed unimaginably frugal to us. But for the woman who painstakingly brewed the drink and served us with warmth, it meant the world. I’ll never forget the look of utter disbelief and her beaming smile when I handed her a ₹50 note and told her to keep the change. A moment that gravely humbled me. Her happiness reminded me of my privilege, and the value of money, often spent callously on disposable things.

Also Read: 5 Offbeat Places To Visit In Odisha You Probably Haven’t Heard Of!

Handia isn’t just a drink. It’s an experience, an opportunity to strike a bond with a community that belongs to the forest, just as much as the elusive felines who rule it (or so we’d like to believe).

Who knew a sour, slightly pungent Odia brew would be the highlight of our forest escape!

Cover Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy