Mahuli (Odia : ମହୁଲି) is a
flower wine used by Tribals in
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sc ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . ...
. Its prepared from the
Mahula (ମହୁଲ) flower. Mahuli wine is an indigenous drink also called Mahuwa.
Origins
Tribal people of
Bastar in
Chattishgarh and Western & Northern part of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sc ...
, Santhals of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . ...
and Tribal people of North
Maharashtra, consider the tree and the Mahua drink as part of their cultural heritage. It is an obligatory item during celebration and evening activities.
Preparation
The flowers of the
Mahula tree are the main ingredient used for preparation. The flowers are fermented to make Mahuli. Pure Mahuli is almost transparent and has a distinct, easily identified smell. Alcohol content in pure Mahuli is about 25-45% depending on the number of distillation processes it has gone through. Mahuli is strong in the drink. Indigenous people usually take it raw. It can be used to make cocktails or mixed with water to dilute it.
References
Indian wine
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