Nagaland Zutho Rice Beer Naga Traditional Ferment

Method

1. 1

   Cook glutinous rice: Wash 2 cups glutinous rice. Cook with 3 cups water in a pot for 20 to 25 minutes until fully soft and sticky. Spread on a flat surface to cool completely.

2. 2

   Add yeast: Sprinkle dry yeast over the completely cooled cooked rice. Mix gently with clean hands to distribute evenly through every grain.

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   First fermentation — 2 to 3 days: Transfer yeast-mixed rice to a clean container. Cover loosely. Ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 days until the rice smells sour and slightly alcoholic and looks slightly liquid from fermentation moisture.

4. 4

   Add cold water: Add 4 to 6 cups clean cold water to the fermented rice. Stir gently.

5. 5

   Second fermentation — 4 to 6 hours: Cover loosely and leave 4 to 6 more hours. The mixture will look increasingly liquid and slightly cloudy — this is correct.

6. 6

   Strain through cloth: Pour through a clean muslin cloth. The milky, slightly cloudy liquid that comes through is the zutho. The residual rice mass is pressed firmly to extract all liquid.

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   Taste: Zutho should be milky white, slightly sour, mildly sweet and faintly alcoholic. It is thicker and milkier than other rice beers due to the starch from glutinous rice.

8. 8

   Serve at room temperature or slightly warm: Zutho is traditionally drunk at room temperature or slightly warm during cold weather.

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   Share communally: Zutho is served in communal vessels — each person pours their own cup from the shared pot.

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    Consume within 2 days: Zutho continues fermenting and becomes increasingly sour — drink within 2 days of straining.

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    Note: Zutho is the traditional rice beer of the Angami Naga tribe — made for the Sekrenyi festival (the Angami purification festival in February) and for important community celebrations. The milky colour from the glutinous rice starch distinguishes it visually from other rice beers. Naga rice beer traditions vary by tribe — the Ao tribe makes a preparation called ruhi, the Sumi tribe makes imas — each with slight variations in the fermentation process and starter culture used.