<b style="">Hor, the traditional alcoholic beverage of Karbi tribe in Assam </b> <b style=""> </b>

Abstract

The <i style="">Karbis</i> have an age old tradition of preparing <i style="">Hor Alank</i> (rice beer) by fermenting cooked rice with locally prepared yeast culture called <i style="">Thap</i> and distilling the alcohol called <i style="">Hor Arak</i> from the beer. <i style="">Thap</i> is traditionally prepared from leaves of <b style=""><i style="">Croton joufra </i>Roxb.</b> and uncooked rice. Highly concentrated alcohol in small quantities has been used among rural masses to cure dysentery, pharyngitis and cholera; while <i style="">hor alank</i> is used as preservative and for flavouring dried fish (<i style="">manthu</i>). The paper describes the indigenous method of preparing the beverage, various substitutes and adulterants used for the preparation of <i style="">thap</i> and its uses. The traditional Still called <i style="">Bhot</i> as well as improved Still have also been described in detail. &nbsp;