Chhyaang aka Himalayan Beer: Fourteen centuries of history in a glass

Dashain might be over but the celebrations, in
various names, still continue in Nepal, where
festivals even outnumber the number of days in a
year. Every celebration, in many Nepali homes, is
incomplete without the local brews and
traditionally cooked meat, recipes for which have
been passed down from one generation to
another.
The most popular among local alcohols in Nepal
is c hyaang or thon, sometimes referred to as the
‘Himalayan Beer’ or the ‘Nepali Beer’. Chyaang is a
fermented rice beverage, similar in appearance,
taste and production method to the unfiltered
varieties of Japanese sake.
It is believed that a Chinese princess, who tied the
knot with a Tibetan king during the seventh
century, brought the brew to the kingdom as part
of her dowry, and later on it was adopted as a
welcome drink of the courts. However, according
to another Sherpa belief, Guru Padmasambhava
was the first one to drink c hyaang and hence the
Tibetans present it as an offering to him.
Legend has it that the Tibetans were building the
Samye Monastery, but could not complete it. Guru
Padmasambhava came to their rescue sprinkling
drops of c hyaang on the incomplete monastery.
Only then were they able to complete their work.
Thereafter, Tibetans started drinking chhyang as a
gift of God.
Chyaang is also said to be the best drink to fight
cold of the mountains. According to the Sherpas,
it has many healing properties for conditions such
as common cold, fevers, allergic rhinitis, and even
alcoholism! High in the mountains, it is the spirit
that keeps them warm.
Among the ethnic beverages of the region, the
mild-alcoholic, sweet-flavoured c hyaang , because
of high calories, vitamin content, beneficial lactic
acid bacteria, and yeast are considered more as
food than a beverage. It quenches thirst, gives
energy, and provides nutrition. Chyaang forms part
of the socio-cultural life of the people in the
region.
Drinking and making offerings of chyaang are part
of many pan-Tibetan social and religious
occasions. Traditionally, it is a very common part
of their life as they drink it at funerals and
celebrations, while working and playing, and at all
ages. Just about everybody drinks it during
Lhosar, the Tibetan New Year. They also make it
with barley and millet too.
Chhyang is not just a favourite drink among the
mountain dwellers. It has fans among the Newar
communities of the Kathmandu as
well. Chyaang is known as thon in the Newar
language and is drunk by the community
members during festivals, social events, and
family celebrations. It is normally prepared during
rice plantation and harvest seasons as both the
tasks require a lot of teamwork. Each member of
the farmer’s family gets involved, that too without
asking for pay, as they get to savour a
sumptuous lunch with good quality thon .
The time the fermentation process takes may
vary with seasons. During summer it might just
take three days and in winter it might go up to
ten. The time can be extended to make the
beverage stronger. After the fermentation process
is complete, the pots are emptied and the liquid
transferred to wooden drums, and then water is
added until it is submerged, kept for 2–5 hours.
The filtrate is collected two-four times.
The solid part is used to feed the cattle. Then you
have a perfect chhyang after one day!