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An Ara in Making

“Make sure you always carry the knife and cup in your pocket, one never know which you will encounter, the wine or enemy” This adage is more than an indication to illustrate that drinking is an integral part of Bhutanese Society. Drinking is more prevalent in eastern part of the country, so do people say. But almost every Bhutanese are known to relish the drinks.
Farmers do drink but only to relieve the pain and labour of having worked in the field for whole day. Working people say they drink to fight work stress, wives drink to counter family tension and kids say either the mum taught them or they want to look matured or is it because they love being in the realm world the alcohol is known to transport us …so, you see no sober people.
So, anyone ever wondered how is Ara, popularly known as distilled water is prepared. People just care to see that the bottle of ara (locally known as local) is placed on the table or the alcohol stand has variety of foreign drinks) However, I happened to encounter a lady making it and collected a little detail. Here is how it goes;
All the Ara maker need is fermented food, (the main raw material) big pot, piece of wet cloth, a bowl and small pot. Fill the big pot with the fermented food and mix it with water of right proportion. Place it over then oven and place a small pot inside before sealing the bowl and the pot with piece of wet cloth. Let it boil and do not forget to change the water on the bowl periodically.
The fermented food is heated and when it boils, the evaporation occurs which when coming to contact with the cold base of the bowl, the vapour condense and drop back on the small pot inside as ara. Ooppss…we already learnt about that in class eight Chemistry or we already know how rainfall take place.

So, Drinker or tankers out there, you now what is it that you are crazy about!!!

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