Latest news with #Marak
Mint
01-06-2025
- General
- Mint
Meet the folks packaging Meghalaya's indigenous rice beer
While the North-East has a long tradition of brewing rice to make beer and wine, efforts to brand and bottle them are yet to catch on. The relative success of fermented rice beverage brands like Judima and Xaj from Assam has now brought young entrepreneurs from Meghalaya to package and promote the local rice beer of West Garo Hills—chubitchi or bitchi. Startups such as 7 United run by Keenan K. Marak and Chuchekra by Tengnang D. Sangma are trying to preserve the heritage drink and reach a wider market. Bitchi is made using a starter culture or yeast that has been passed down for generations. It is this yeast that makes it lighter and milder compared to most other rice beers in the North-East. Locals also use a special earthenware jar called diktom that stores the sticky rice while it ferments. 'We received a GI tag for bitchi in 2024, and therefore only rice grown in these hills can be used to make it. The sweet and smoky taste is unique to the rice beer from these parts," says Marak. Sangma says that the early makers divided the spirit into gender-specific terms, making it one of the only spirits to be classified into male and female sections, depending on its flavour. 'If the bitchi tastes bitter, it is known as Bitchi Bipa (male) and if it tastes sweet, it is called Bitchi Bima (female)," he says and adds, 'The diktom jar is considered as female genitalia inside which bitchi is created and is called as the brew of the gods passed down to humanity." Every village in Garo Hills celebrates their harvest festival known as Wangala where bitchi is distributed to appease Minima Rokimi, the local deity of rain, prosperity and fertility. The yeast used to make bitchi is used to mark the face during weddings, birthdays and funerals. 'Even today, if you go to smaller villages, you will be treated with bitchi and not tea," says Marak. The idea to bottle bitchi came to both entrepreneurs during the covid-19 pandemic. Marak had just graduated from St Joseph's College in Bengaluru before heading back home during the lockdown. He started making fruit wines and moved to rice beer. The first couple of iterations learnt from YouTube went horribly wrong and made him realise he needed to learn from the local communities. Also read: The new wave of North-East Indian food in Andheri 'It took me around four months to learn the process. I realised the younger generation was out of touch with their tradition, so I decided to make a trendy rice beer," says 26-year-old Marak, who put up an Instagram post in August 2022 about the product, and got hundreds of followers overnight enquiring where they could buy it. 7 United is the first bottled bitchi and comes in an aluminium can instead of regular glass bottles. Marak says he studied cola and beer brands, and wanted to prevent glass breakage, especially since he adds extra carbonation to the spirit to make it easier to drink, and bring down the ABV to 7%. The brand is available in Tura in West Garo Hills, and debuted in Shillong last year. Marak has also applied for a grant from the state government to launch a new variant even as he eyes Assam next after selling 28,000 cans last year. For 34-year-old Sangma, who is an anthropologist and musician, the workings of the Garo community, especially the way they treat their yeast used to make bitchi, like a family heirloom, drove him to start Chuchekra. 'It's an old word that many people have forgotten, but it's the literal term for storing bitchi," he says. Chuchekra is made from the first extract of the distilled rice after it is stored in a diktom jar for one month. The brand launched in 2022 and is available by direct order or at cultural festivals and local events in Shillong—they make about 4,000 litres a year. He is also keen to serve traditional bitchi without adding carbonation, and looking to expand to Himachal Pradesh next, followed by Goa and Bengaluru.. The potential for rice beers is seemingly huge given that soju and sake, with similar taste profiles, are still in the nascent stages of adoption for the wider Indian audience. At a conference last month in Vienna, Marak took a few cans for sampling and was blown away by the response. 'When you say rice beer, most people automatically think of soju or sake, but as Indians, we are never proud of what we already have. This product can change global perspectives," he says. With a consolidated movement towards popularising heritage spirits in the North-East and young, passionate founders looking to expand in India and beyond, it's time this unique rice beer gets its due. Also read: North-East food creators get candid on cuisine Priyanko Sarkar is a Mumbai-based writer covering the F&B industry.
United News of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Meghalaya BJP leader mulls legal action against govt for violating peace pact
Shillong, May 26 (UNI) Lone Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member in Meghalaya's Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Bernard Marak, is mulling taking legal action against the government for violating the tripartite pact with the two militant factions of A'chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC). Marak, who once led the breakaway faction of ANVC commonly known as ANVC-B, accused the Meghalaya government of delaying the implementation of all the points agreed upon in the tripartite agreement. In December 2014, the ANVC led by Dilash Marak and ANVC (B) surrendered arms and signed the affirmation for disbandment before then Chief Minister Mukul Sangma after they signed a historic memorandum of settlement with the central and state governments in September 2014. 'ANVC groups were betrayed, the whole tribal communities were betrayed, and the projects were hijacked by the State Government, leaving ADCs (Autonomous District Councils) in debt,' Marak said, accusing the central and state governments of violating the peace pact for failing to hold monitoring committee meetings to monitor the implementation of the tripartite agreement. 'However, for more than a decade the government cheated us, giving us false hope. It's been more than 10 years, and no committees were formed and no meetings were held to monitor the agreement,' he said. Accusing 'Garo Chief Ministers' of betraying the tribal people's benefit by delaying the implementation of the tripartite agreement, Marak said, 'They also violated the points agreed upon in an agreement. We are left with no option but to serve them a legal notice for violating the agreement.' 'We were assured of a better life through the Tripartite Agreement, but we were targeted, apprehended, and slapped with multiple cases. Now, fighting the government legally is the only option left for us,' he further added. According to Marak, the tripartite agreement focused on strengthening the traditional system to promote local self-governance, transfer of 13 state departments to the District Council, direct funding to the District Council, among others. Instead of implementing the tripartite agreement, Marak accused the state government of hijacking the benefits of the agreement to the state departments. Moreover, the former ANVC-B militant leader accused the NPP-led Executive Committee in the GHADC of misappropriating the Centre's funds against GST, for which a show cause was issued to GHADC multiple times. 'Departments like Health, Education, Transport, Forest, Registration of Births and Deaths, ST certificates, documents related to land like Non-encumbrance, PRC, etc., were unlawfully taken over by the state instead of giving it to the Autonomous District Councils,' he alleged. Further, Marak also challenged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to prove his leadership by honouring the tripartite agreement instead of making irresponsible statements on projects sanctioned through the pact. Marak also said that Tura Medical College is an outcome of the agreement and that Chief Minister Sangma should first hold a meeting before taking any decision on the project. UNI RRK ARN
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Mega Millions ticket price increase means larger jackpots for players, officials say
The Pennsylvania Lottery's Mega Millions tickets are increasing from $2 to $5. Lottery officials say the price hike will result in more money up for grabs. Customers at Dave's BP on Evergreen Road and all across the state are seeing changes to the Mega Millions lottery. Signs inside the gas station show the increased cost per ticket. "I think it's a little bit of sticker shock when you tell customers right away, but sometimes there always is, and in three weeks, you know, people might just be buying it like normal," said Dave's BP owner David Brogan. "It just is what it is, I suppose," Aaron Garcia said. He said the changes won't stop him from trying to win. "It'd be cool, but we'll see. I don't hold my hopes too high on that one." Lottery officials said the changes mean larger starting jackpots and faster-growing prizes. It's also "building in" the multiplier. "Every winner will automatically receive a multiplier. So that ranges from two to 10 times," said Pennsylvania Lottery Press Secretary Ewa Swope. That slightly improves the odds of winning any prize from a 1 in 24 chance, to 1 in 23. Under the new rules, prizes for tickets not matching all six numbers will also increase. "I don't play it because it's expensive," said Dave's BP customer Chris Marak. Skeptics like Marak have more questions, too. "You don't win, you never win. So, where's the money really going?" Marak questioned. Swope said lottery proceeds actually go to helping Pennsylvania seniors. "We're talking property tax, rent rebates, huge. We're talking prescription drug assistance," Swope added. It's a win in the community, with hopes of big bucks, one drawing at a time. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.
