The traditional Judima wine from the Assam and Nagaland Dimasa tribes is the first drink in northeast India to receive the geographical indication (GI) label, officials said on Sunday. An official from the Agricultural University of Assam (AAU) said the Dimasa tribes make wine from sticky rice and certain herbs. In close cooperation with the Youth Association for Development and Empowerment (YADEM) of the Dima Hasao district in Assam, AUA has examined its historical background, its benefits and its scientific aspects. A group of AAU scholars including Kishore Kumar Sharma, Gargi Sharma and S. Maibongsa and university professor Gauhati Uttam Baithari worked together on documentation and other treatments of Judima wine to earn the GI label.
Ashok Bhattacharyya, the AAU’s director of agricultural research, said the geographical indications register exchanged information last week about the issuance of the official mark to Judima.
Various organizations, including YADEM, have long called on the AAU to take the necessary steps to promote traditional Judima wine and receive the GI label for it.
The Judima wine is an essential tradition in the life and culture of the Dimasa tribes, who, in addition to the districts of Cachar, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao in Assam, mainly inhabit Dimapur in Nagaland.
The wine has a pronounced sweet taste and takes about a week to prepare, while it can be stored for years. Various other tribes in the northeast region traditionally produce and consume different types of country wines and liqueurs among themselves.
Many fruit, horticultural, and agricultural products in the northeastern states have already received GI labels for their specialty, but this is the first time a wine has received this label.
Last week, Tamenglong orange and Hathei pepper from Manipur, which are grown in the mountain districts of Tamenglong and Ukhrul, and ginger from Mizoram received the IG label.
Tamenglong orange, rich in vitamins and phosphorus, is consumed fresh or in the form of juice, jam, pumpkin and syrup, while Hathei pepper, red or green, is grown on the slopes of the hills in “Jhum” agriculture (method Culture cut and burn).
Upon receiving the GI label for mizoram ginger, Prime Minister Zoramthanga congratulated the state’s farmers and tweeted: “The GI label for mizoram ginger will empower all stakeholders for better economic stability. “
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