RICE BEER OF THE BODOS OF NORTH EAST INDIA

Abstract:-Bodo’s widely known as Boro’s have a rich and good knowledge on traditional things whether it is folk medicines or folk foods. They have been accustomed with the tradition since the ancient period and in present days too. They have a well acquainted with the things surrounded to them and skilled in every sphere of works i.e. weaving, hunting, cookery, agriculture and architecture etc. Rice beer or zou that is prepared by cooking of rice is one of cookery which is a skilled work and traditional drinks of the Bodo’s since the ancient time. Rice beer or zou is used by them for different purposes and in different occasions. It has variety of types according to its taste and flavour and with the rice used for preparation of rice beer. All these types have been inclusive term of zou but have different names with different taste and flavour. Each and every family member of Bodo knows’ how rice beer is to be prepared as it has been remained as a part of tradition among the community.
Keywords:Emaw, Zou, Zou Gwthang, Maibrani Zou, Zou Gwran or Sereb.

INTRODUCTION
Bodo tribe is considered as the earliest immigrants  in Assam and are said to be the most culturally rich community of the north‐western parts of the state. 'Bodo' is derived from the term 'Bod', which means Tibet, thus signifying that majority of the Bodo’s arrived from Bhutan passes. The 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India has conferred the Bodo tribal community the status and prestige of a tribe. Bodo tribes are found in several places of Assam. The Bodos are concentrated in the regions like Kokrajhar and Udalguri in Assam. As per historical records, the Bodo’s were referred to as 'Meche' or 'The Mech'. The Bodo tribe prefer addressing themselves as 'Bodosa' which means, the son of Bodo.
[ Language of Bodo Tribe ] As far as the languages are concerned, Bodo tribal people speak Bodo language, which has been derived from famous Tibeto‐ Burmese language family. For writing , majority of these Bodo tribes of the primitive ages make use of the Roman script and Assamese script. As a recent phenomenon, this Bodo tribal community has taken up the Nagari script. There are also some eminent scholars who are of the opinion that the Bodo language has developed their indigenous script, which is popularly called 'Deodhai'.
[ Religion]
Bathou Bwrai which they worship as the supreme god that is having with five principles of philosophy in current among the Bodo’s is since the immemorial of time. Bodo’s are dependents on agriculture and most of the peoples are hardworking peasants mostly resides in rural and remote areas. They like to live where paddy grows more and can harvest paddy abundantly. Especially they prefer fertile land and to sapling paddy thereon. They have a rich multifaceted culture and tradition and expert in every sphere of works i.e. weaving, hunting, cookery, agriculture and folk architecture etc.
METHOD AND METHODOLOGY

The information for this research are collected from both primary and secondary sources. The information are mainly collected from bodo  dominated areas. The culture and tradition of Bodo is most interesting one. So,  through my research and study I am trying   to highlight and  elaborate  the use, preparation of rice beer and its place in the society of the greater Bodo peoples’ as whole.
HYPOTHESIS
The study of traditional knowledge is most important because our every knowledge gets start from it to the modern stages. Rice beer  prepared by the Bodo people is  amazing  and produced  scientifically  if someone wants  to know and  having interest to learn how it is prepared. It has occupied scientific methods on its fermentation process and preparation. For instance-, a)the proportion of intoxication b)the quantity, quality of Emaw and its preparation process c)preparation of whisky from rice beer d)taste and flavour of rice beer e)durability, longevity and preservatives f)marketing or trading of rice beer
Bodos have learnt and prepared rice beer or Zou since  the men  formed society and lived together. They prepare the Zou round the days of the year. There are varieties of Zou according to their taste and flavour by the name Maibrani or Fisinai Zou, Zou gwran, Zou gwthang and Zou matha etc. and these are  elaborated in the paper. Earlier Bodos offered Zou in their worshiping too. Most of the Bodos are hard working peasant people and dependents on agriculture as their livelihood  and they take rice beer because  -, a)to get relax from day’s work. b)to receive guest. c)to enjoy and entertain. d)as a medicine. e) on work in mutual cooperation.
These habits are still inforce in the rural areas and they have a believed if they consume a little amount of rice beer or drinks then they might be able to get rid from some diseases like infection of urination while it becomes pale  if walk through in sunny day then it will be as usual. Some of the financially weaker and poorer section of Bodo people sets its  as business to earn money and sell it at their own house to the villagers or to the local customers .
 PREPARATION OF EMAW
Zou or Zumai is prepared from emaw. Emaw is procured  from raw rice i.e. uncooked rice which is soaked in water for some time and then taken out from water and having with some ingredients like herbs and leaves of trees and roots. Emaw is a cake like but that is prepared from raw rice with leaves of jack fruit, plantain leaves, roots of agarchita (a kind of small plant), mwkhwnan bibar (a kind of wild flower or sprouting leaves) grinding that all together and made cakes mixing with water. It is worth mentionable that the old emaw is applied on the newly prepared emaw which is called emaw mwkhang in Bodo before making them into cakes form. Then those are kept on winnowing fan bed covering with dry paddy straws or dry fern leaves for three or four days. After three or four days those prepared cakes are kept on sunlight so as to make them dry only. Those cakes are but not made very big and thick shape. It is three to four inches round shaped with almost one inch thickness. Quantity of those leaves and roots are applied according to the rice used for preparation of emaw. Usually preparation in one kilogram of rice for emaw is of six to seven leaves of mwkhwna bibar, two to three agarchita roots, ten to twelve jack fruit’s leaf, three to four pineapple’s leaf and one to two plantain leaves are required.
PREPARATION OF ZAU OR ZUMAI OR RICE BEER The rice which is daily used  is preferred for rice beer. Rice is cooked as needed and it is pushed out from the cooking pot on winnowing fan or on mate etc. Then it is let cooled on mate or winnowing fan etc. Earlier the cooked rice was pushed out on plantain leaves and let cooled on it. After getting cooled the emaw is broken down or smashed and made into dust or powder. The powder is spread on the cooled rice and mixed it with hands then it is kept in pitcher pot (maldang in Bodo) or pot and it is covered with its cape, plantain leaves or plastics. Within three or four days it is able to be taken as a rice beer. There are different names of zumai or zau according to its type of taste and flavour as zou gwthang, zou gwran or sereb and maibrani zou. Zou gwthang and Maibrani zou have same taste and flavour but Maibrani zau is special one as it is prepared from maibra rice (a variety of rice that is sticky when cooked) and its taste is sweeter than that of other zau gwthang. In earlier period rice beer had been prepared from the aalua rice i.e. unpolished rice because preparation of rice beer with this rice gives quality of drinks of rice beer according to their belief and proof. Preparation of Zou sometimes become sour if and then while it is not temperate with the time period and climate. The cooked rice for rice beer should not be soft or sticky it should not be harder or softer, it should be always as normal cooked rice. Otherwise rice beer would not come into rice beer form which we call usually rice beer. So, it has to be very carefull while it is prepared. Therefore Bodo girls learn about the preparation of rice beer while she attains young as it has been becoming an essential part women’s work in earlier times and as she had to solace her husband’s family members i.e. her in-laws after her marriage in in-laws family and society. That is why every mother of daughters let learnt their daughters preparation of rice beer as an important task. We can have a keen and simply observation and clear why Bodo girls have to learn preparation of Zau from a folk song sung by the brother inlaws of the village while they come to beg during the celebrity of seasonal celebration in magw or Bwisagu. They sing like-, Ai, bajwilwi, bajwi! Ofri bajwi! Ofri Ofri gwiyabwla daodwilwi bajwi, Bajwi! daodwi. Daodwi gwiyabwla Sourailwi bajwi! sourai. i.e. O, Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law! Bring rice malt Sister-in-law! rice malt If not rice malt then bring eggs Sister-in-law Sister-in-law! bring eggs.
If not eggs, bring Sourai (mixed dry fried of black pulse, sesamum and rice) O, Sister-inlaw. Because they feel free to say and to share feelings to their Sister-in-laws and also as she prepares Zou and rears poultry. That is why all those things are available in the hands of their Sister-in-law and as she is the head of those things who can give them kindly and interestingly by joking manner.
[ ZOU GWTHANG ]
It is a beer drinks like. So it is called rice beer. The malt is called Ofri in Bodo. The malt with a little juice that is formed itself after three or four days in the bottom of the pitcher pot or pot is called zumai matha i.e. pure juice of rice beer without adding water on it. If it is taken then its taste is very sweet. While the whole zumai matha is added with water then it is said Zou Gisi. This can be kept not more days, only four five days is enough else it becomes sour to taste as there is not given any preservative medicine on preparation of rice beer.
[ MAIBRANI ZAU ]
Especially this is prepared from maibra rice (a variety of rice when cooked it becomes sticky). Process of preparation of Maibrani Zau is also same as general zau. But its taste and flavour is sweeter than that of general zumai gwthang because of rice. Usually Maibrani Zau is kept in the pitcher pot more than one month. Keeping of Zou into pitcher pot is as wish because it can be kept round the year too. It is called zumai fisinai as because it is kept long time in pitcher pot and its taste and flavour is honey like taste and colour is of coca cola like. This is prepared to have in the month of January in second part of the month as Bodos celebrate magw domasi in this month as their special celebrity days for drinking and eating. It’s a very special rice beer of Bodos. The Zou prepared from maibra rice can be taken along with rice malt that is called maibra ofri janai in Bodo i.e. taken malt of maibra rice. Maibrani Zau is usually taken without distillation form.
[ ZAU GWRAN OR SEREB ]
It is a distilled and filtered whisky like drinks prepared from zumai gwthang. According to the prepared zumai matha Bodo women have a good knowledge about the proportion and standard of the zumai matha as that how much water to be added with zumai matha. Adding water in Zau Gwthang, it is kept for two or three days. After two or three days it is brought in the distillation process. Bodos use three stages for preparation of this kind of whisky. The bottom part that which in the pot the malt is kept is one part that is kept as to heat on its bottom with firewood to make vapour up the smoke of the Zau Gwthang to Zau Gwran. Second part pot is kept to make process the smoke that comes from the malt pot. In this part a bit of technological technique has been used to gather the vapour in a place. And the last part of pot is to keep water in to make steamed on so as the steam can be formed. Its longevity power is also not more as Zau Gwthang, if it is kept for long time then its taste and the intoxication power becomes down though it is distillated. Because Bodos never use preservatives while they prepare rice beer.
CONCLUSION Bodos have been accustomed with the traditional knowledge as an important part of the livelihood in their life. It has been accumulated among them which they cannot ignore and gave up because generation to generation this knowledge has been given them a good result. Drinks which they prefer for is medicine like drinks that is prepared from cooked rice and the smashed or made dust powder of eamw which is prepared from grinding soaked rice with some medicinal plant’s leaves and roots. It is worth mentionable that old emaw has been kept for the preparation of new emaw, it is as because they have a belief if they applied the old emaw in the preparation of new emaw then the newly formed emaw will also good as like the old one. Usually the old emaw is kept which gives good quality of rice beer. Preparation of Sereb or Zau Gwran or distilled whisky is very interesting which is peculiar than of that usual preparation of Zau Gwthang. These drinks have been occupied a nice place among the Bodos whether it is being used on work, on guest reception, in worshiping of god or as a use of medicine in different times and occasions in society. This indigenous knowledge has been preserved and maintained by the Bodo peoples through the times and ages properly.
ACKNOWLDGEMENT
 All of the above written article is presented with a deep study and research through various  research papers  collected from different journals of both national and international library . Without that I would not be able to complete the research work.
REFERENCES 1.Anderson, J.D.1985 ,Preface to collection of Kachari Folktales and Rhymes.Folklore Society of Assam, Guwahati. 2.Barua B.K.2003,A Cultural History of Assam (early period), Bina Library Guwahati Assam. 3.Boro, Anil.2010 , Folk Literature of Bodos, N.L. publications,Panbazar,Guwahati.
4.Endle, S.1997 The Kacharis. Low price Publications. Delhi. 5.Gait, E.A.1963 History of Asam. Lawyers’ Bok Stal. Guwahati.

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