Description
Traditional liquor fermenting rice/barley mixed with special herb culture in mountain regions like North India's Himachal Pradesh state. Yogurt-sour liquor drunk in unglazed vessels on festival days/freezing nights.
Restaurants serving Lugdi (Himachal Region's Sacred Rice Liquor)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Lugdi(Rice and medicinal herb fermented liquor)
Instructions
- [For
- Servings/Ingredients] 500ml Lugdi (rice fermented liquor/unrefined sake),
- unglazed vessels (Kulhad), salt/raw green chilies to taste.
- At a chilled village house at Himalayan foothills in Himachal Pradesh state, open unglazed pot (or wooden barrel) wrapped in blankets/cloth kept warm finishing fermentation over days.
- Inside pot is packed with milky-white liquid 'Lugdi' where cooked rice (or barley) melted gooey bubbling with slight carbonation foam.
- On festival night surrounding fireplace fire, generously scoop Lugdi with ladle including bottom rice grains into small unglazed cups (Kulhad).
- Amidst Amazake/Makgeolli-like sweet fermented odor, Himalayan wild herbs (included in fermentation starter) grassy aroma mixes.
- Put mouth directly to unglazed vessel, slurping 'zuzu' audibly the cloudy liquid along with rice grains.
- Intense yogurt-like acidity, rustic rice sweetness, soft intoxication of ABV (~5-7%) gradually warm chilled body from stomach.
- As you drink, following village men, lick little salt and drink while biting raw green chilies; the sour/salty/spicy chaos births infinite loop.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
None(Himalayan medicinal herbs used in fermentation starter)
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Makgeolli or Japanese Doburoku (as perfect sub for rice fermented liquor)
Pairing
Spicy mutton stir-fry、Green chili and salt(drinking while biting)
Trivia
[Hardcore] In Bollywood blockbuster 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', protagonists getting drunk drinking this 'Lugdi' in Himachal mountains was depicted, instantly making its name known to youths across India. Since old times a sacred liquor indispensable for mountain tribes' religious rituals/festivals, bearing role as calorie source (unrefined sake) to survive severe cold.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Drinking] Mix a little 'Jaggery (brown sugar)' into Lugdi overly sour from progressed fermentation, making sweet-sourness like lactic acid beverage and chugging!
Allergen
None