Tongba

Tongba is a millet based alcoholic beverage originating in the mountainous region of Nepal, India (Darjeeling) and probably in Tibet as well.

Cleaned whole grain millet is cooked and fermented. It is consumed in a unique way. The fermented millet is put in a container also traditionally called 'Tongba' and boiled water is poured in it to the brim. It is left undisturbed for a while and a fine bamboo straw with a blind end, but perforated on the side is inserted into the container to suck out the warm water saturated with the alcohol from the mllet grains. More hot water is added and the process is repeated till the fluid becomes less and less concentrated with alcohol.

The fermented millet can also be processed manually to squeeze the whitish turbid alcoholic fluid and drunk as any other beverages, but then it is not called Tongba.