mahua is a spirit distilled throughout a broad swath of central India from the dried flowers of the evergreen mahua tree, Madhuca longifolia, which are rich in sugar. Indeed, it is the world’s only traditional spirit that is produced from flowers. The white blossoms are hand-picked, dried, and then fermented in large clay vessels for up to six days before receiving a single distillation in pot stills. Often referred to as arrack, the centuries-old clear liquor is traditionally made in home stills by the women of the Adivasis tribal groups, though commercial distillation has become commonplace as official regulation increases. Its flavor is floral and deeply pungent; some outsiders have likened its aroma to the smell of mice. See arrack.
Deogharia, Jaideep. “High Time to Make Most of Mahua.” Times of India, April 23, 2013. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/high-time-to-make-most-of-mahua/articleshow/19687715.cms (accessed February 18, 2021).
Froerer, Peggy. “Liquor Disputes and the Communalization of Local Tensions.” In Religious Division and Social Conflict: The Emergence of Hindu Nationalism in Rural India. New York: Berghahn, 2007.
By: Anna Archibald