''Zutho'' is a
fermented drink
This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to alcohol using yeast, but other fermentation processes involv ...
, originating from the Indian state of
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
, obtained from rice. It is a drink of the
Angami and
Chakhesang
The Chakhesangs are a major Naga ethnic group found in the Indian state of Nagaland. Chakhesangs were previously known as the former Eastern Angamis, now recognized as a separate ethnic group. The Chakhesangs are divided into two groups known ...
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Ri ...
s and is commonly consumed by all Nagas in both urban and rural regions of Nagaland.
It contains approximately 5%(v/v) of
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
, and is known for its fruity odor, which is partly imparted by the acetyl esters in generous amounts. Traditionally zutho is prepared by allowing
starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human die ...
-rich solutions to broken down by enzymes into sugars that are fermented by yeast. Starch in rice has to be made into malt by sprouting, or digested by enzymes that Nagas learned to grow in a separate process on a plant.
See also
*''
Choujiu''–Chinese equivalent of Zutho
*''
Makgeolli
''Makgeolli'' ( ko, 막걸리, raw rice wine ), sometimes anglicized to makkoli (, ), is a Korean alcoholic beverage. The milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine has a slight viscosity that tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and ast ...
''—Korean equivalent of Zutho
*''
Nigori''–Japanese equivalent of Zutho
Notes and Sources
*Y. Teramoto, S. Yoshida and S. Ueda
of a rice beer (zutho) and a yeast isolated from the fermented product in Nagaland, India ''World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology'', December 2002.
{{Rice drinks
Indian alcoholic drinks
Rice wine
Naga cuisine