Summer vibing with urrac
Navhind Times | 3 months ago | |
Navhind Times
3 months ago | |
Goan summers are incomplete without the locally produced urrac that helps beat the heat and pump up a party. But with the drink gaining way too much popularity, its makers are struggling to meet the demandDANUSKA DA GAMA | NT BUZZNo brownie points for guessing why sales of lemon-flavoured aerated drinks soar in Goa during summer. It’s the season of urrac!Made from fermented cashews, urrac is a single distilled 30 per cent alcoholic beverage typically produced between the months of February and May. It is best enjoyed by adding in some lemon-flavoured soft drink to a large peg of the drink, some slices of green chilli, a pinch of salt, and a dash of lime along with loads of ice.A drink that is close to the hearts of Goans with even songs composed on it like ‘Urack-Maruia’ by Goa’s nightingale Lorna, this refreshing but seasonal local drink has been enjoyed annually over the ages.While there is a lot of confusion about the correct spelling of the drink, it matters least to those who love the drink and share its goodness with others. While in some bars it’s spelled ‘urrack’, those in the business go by ‘urrac’.Production of urracSold locally, urrac is rarely available across the counter at liquor shops. Those who buy the bottled versions often prefer locally available urrac that is fresh and available only till May.Distilled in places like Pernem, Valpoi, Loutolim, and Canacona, production of urrac is mostly done by families who sell it to local vendors or bars through their contacts.“Goans have always enjoyed summer with urrac. We store them in a large glass garrafão, just like we store feni. But urrac has to be consumed by the end of summer, better if refrigerated,” says a tavern owner from Saligao.A cashew plantation owner from Latambarcem adds that this year the early rains spoiled the cashew crop. “This resulted in a much lesser quantity of urrac. But we need urrac to make feni, which has a longer shelf life and is always in demand,” he says.Jose Cruz, a well-known name in Loutolim and cashew plantation owner, who also grows betel nut and other local produce, has been distilling urrac and feni since 1995. He tells us that the lockdown in Goa increased the demand for urrac, being a seasonal drink, though feni has more production since it lasts longer. “Urrac is a dangerous drink and can make you really drunk,” he says. However, although he does not sell on a large scale like major distilleries, each year he sells no less than `1.5 lakh worth of urrac.His plantation that spans 1,00,000 square metres has been producing and selling urrac and feni and people in Goa are shifting towards local produce, people are very appreciative of urrac, and it also gives people a chance to concoct the drink differently, though most love it the lemonade way.Soaring demandLocals usually purchase urrac by the litre or in cans. “Today, a bottle costs anywhere between `200 and `260, depending on the popularity of the place and the quality,”says Kudnekar.In fact, Madame Rosa was the first company to bottle and export urrac. “Our PVV and Big Boss brands have been exported to the US too,” says Shreya Patil, event coordinator of Madame Rosa. She adds that every time they export a brand of urrac, it is a way of celebrating ‘Atmanirbhar Goem’, being ‘Swayampurna’ and respecting Swadeshi pride.Gurudatta Bhakta of Czcar distillery who also exports feni to the USA doesn’t produce or sell urrac. “We do a small quantity for ourselves. As it does not have a long shelf life with the drink losing its taste after the rains, this makes it tough to work with,” he says. Launi Feni is the speciality that is distilled in the traditional clay pot, besides other varieties made of spices and herbs, mostly for export purpose. About 400 kilograms of cashew apples are needed every year to produce at least 25 barrels of feni.The quality testWhile people wait the whole year to enjoy their share of urrac,there is little guarantee that the urrac you manage to lay your hands on is good or not so good.Owner of Cazulo Feni, Hansel Vazexplains the rules to check for good urrac. “It’s a high temperature distillate so it should be cloudy, and contain between 20- 30 per cent of alcohol. Anything stronger will not be nice. Another important thing is that it should have the aroma of cashew. It should smell like you are holding a cashew in your hand and it should smell like summer.”Urrac in cocktailsToday, one often also comes across mixologists in some fancy restaurants and pubs making cocktails with urrac. From adding orange and other juices to sweeten the drink to adding curry leaves to spice it up, the fancy cocktails can be enticing. But a true Goenkar will prefer to drink it like it has been consumed over the ages.Many believe the smell and taste of cashew is so unique to urrac that it gets lost when mixed with other stuff.For Gundu, a mixologist at the famous local tavern Joseph Bar in Panaji, this is the season for his favourite summer cocktail ‘Tambde Rosa’ (red rose), one of his signatures among other cocktails he makes. With urrac as the base, some kokum juice and crushed ice, he also throws in some rose petals and crushed ice. And it’s a favourite of neighbours around too, with whom he shares a great rapport and allows for some tasting sessions too.In fact, Vaz says that having urrac in cocktails is a gimmick. “You cannot overcomplicate a simple drink. I think feni is a complex drink and a high spirit cocktail. So, when it’s diluted in a cocktail it makes sense that you still get the flavours. But when you take a light spirit drink like urrac and dilute it in a cocktail, it goes even lighter,” he says.Then there’s also urrac gelato which has become quite something among youngsters and those who have the palate for something new.The new buzzwordIn Valpoi, a local vendor has earned a name for himself by infusing urrac differently. Ginger, garlic, lemongrass, masala, and jeera are some of the varieties he offers. When we caught up with him, we learned that he makes small batches for known customers or those who come through regular customers. He refused to be named as he doesn’t want to commercialise the urrac he makes. “In the last two years, many people came hunting for me,” he says, adding that he raised prices to meet demand and make extra profit. “I would normally sell for `250 a bottle but to outsiders I sold for `400.”Indeed, urrac has become a buzzword, especially among people who come to Goa from outside and one can often find a tourist entering a local bar and asking for urrac, with the most bizarre pronunciation.Vaz believes that the popularity of urrac has only increased withthe rest of India discovering the drink. “It’s something that the Goans have been drinking forever and now we have finally found the rest of India trying to understand our culture. And I think it’s simply because for the first time, we have Indians staying in Goa permanently. Generally, they come for a week and go back. So it’s a new breed of people discovering it and understanding our culture a little more,” he says.Influencers and social media have brought a lot of attention to urrac. It has now become ‘trendy’, ‘instagrammable’, ‘sought after’, and on the ‘to-do list’ of those visiting the state. “In fact, with the help of locals, tourists manage to reach distilleries, cashew plantations and those who sell good urrac,” says Kudnekar from Saligao.But Vaz, like others, believes that Goans shouldn’t be popularising urrac too much. “If we start selling too much urrac, we will not have enough to make feni. And if that happens, we will be killing the golden goose as feni is a regulated spirit. We cannot push an unregulated spirit at the cost of a regulated spirit,” he says.
