By Cecil Pinto
"What about you?" I asked Naresh Fernandes after ordering myself a peg of Caju Feni.
"Oh! Caju Feni of course. Nothing else will do", he replied.
Truly it warmed the cockles of my heart to hear those words. Here I was sitting with a young Goan journalist I respected very much and who I had just met for the very first time, although we had corresponded by e-mail before. Naresh first came to my attention when I read a superb piece by him in Man's World magazine about our very own musical duo Chris and Lorna.
While dissecting the magic that happened between these two Naresh went on to write an encyclopedic piece on Goan Catholic musicians and their influence on the jazz and Bollywood scene in Mumbai. Apparently Naresh had returned to the world of Indian journalism in Mumbai after a stint with the Wall Street Journal in New York. And here we were, seated at Venite's on a rainy night with the owner Luis himself playing host. And Naresh insisted on drinking Caju Feni. Here was a true Goan. Unlike those prudes who had cheap whiskey and vodka and what have you.
"And can I have a Limca with that?"
"No!" I burst out, "You most definitely cannot have a Limca with that. That is a sacrilege. One doesn't insult the Nectar of the Gods with such mixers!" In mere seconds Naresh had plummeted in my estimation to great depths. Here was a man with more knowledge of Goan music than anyone I had ever known or read, and he wanted to have his Caju Feni with Limca? What sort of a Goan was this?
I carried on with my outraged indignation, "You can add a dash of fresh lime at most but if you put in Limca you are diluting the taste totally. Water, soda, ice, a dash of lime cordial, a few drops of fresh lime juice these are all acceptable but sweetened aerated beverages are not. Next you might want to try Caju with a Cola. Bah!"
"Ok pal," Naresh protested, "when I came down last time in April I had the lighter version with Limca and everyone seemed to think it was ok."
"Lighter version? You talking about Urrack?"
"Of course!"
"How dare you call Urrack a lighter version of Caju? What do you think, they water down Caju Feni and get Urrack?"
"No yaar! I know it's the first distillation."
"Yes it is, but a totally different drink my friend. Apples and oranges. In fact you Mumbai guys are so used to consuming that rotgut Aunty's stuff, in which they use apple and orange skins while distilling, that your dulled palettes and fried brains no longer can tell the difference between Urrack and Caju!"
Luis, who was listening in dumbfounded on all this, had by now surreptitiously brought a bottle of Caju Feni and a bottle of Urrack to the table. I poured a dash of Urrack into a shot glass and proffered it to Naresh, "Sniff this and take a small sip, but don't swallow", I commanded.
Naresh did as bided.
"Now close your eyes my friend. What do you smell? The harsh scatching odour of the cashew apples? The earthy smell of the stone basin where they were crushed to make neera or juice? The smell of burnt wood and of heated clay as it was distilled? Swirl the Urrack on your tongue? Can you feel it as sweet and acrid at the same time? Now swallow. Does your throat scratch slightly? It does? See that is Urrack. That you can drink with Limca. It worms its way into your system, getting you intoxicated slowly. You drink it preferably fresh in March, April and May. Be careful how much you drink though. It will creep up on you and when you walk into the hot sun you will suddenly find yourself reeling. Urrack is like a velvet coated fist my friend. It can caress and it can hit. Treat it respectfully and it will
return the favour."
"So if it is so good how come you treat Caju Feni with such adoration?"
"Aha! If Urrack is the Princess then Caju Feni is the Queen Mother of all drinks. But first Naresh can you tell me how Caju Feni is made"
"The Urrack is distilled a couple more times and you get Caju Feni. Isn't that so?"
"Partly right, partly wrong. Urrack is remixed with fresh neera in the proportion one is to eight and distilled to get an alcohol known as Cazulo. This Cazulo is mixed with fresh neera and redistilled to get Caju Feni. But realistically speaking very few distillers go for the third distillation and so what we consume as Caju Feni is actually Cazulo"
"So we're being cheated?"
"Not really. It's quite accepted terminology. Besides thrice-distilled Caju Feni is so strong and concentrated that it is not really palatable. Here, let me pour you a little Caju Feni. Smell this."
"Not really the best of odours is it"
"True Naresh, many people get turned off by the smell. But do you know that one major Caju Feni distiller had actually sent a sample to the best laboratory in Europe asking them to remove the odour. They did manage that but sent back a recommendation that this path be not pursued further. Removing the bouquet of an alcohol robs it of its unique character. So try and acquire a liking for the smell. It's like fine caviar, after some time you will learn to appreciate its nuances. Now twirl it in your mouth and swallow it. "
"Ooooof! That sure was hot!"
"As well it should. It has cleansed your mouth of all possible germs and has burnt your gullet before warming your stomach with its glow. Soon the effects will follow. After one peg of Caju Feni you will be at peace with yourself and the world, and even with those South Goans who prefer drinking Palm Feni. After two pegs you will be the all-knowing, all-seeing one who is happy in the ecstasy of self-enlightenment. Following the third peg you will have solved the mysteries of the outer and inner universe and will feel the need to break into song with Konkani mandos. And after the fourth pegs you will wax nostalgic about the olden days when
."
"Say Cecil, since you love this topic so much why don't you write the definitive article on Caju Feni? I'm sure Man's World magazine would be interested in such a piece."
"You mean like Cecil Pinto's Ultimate Guide to the History, Distilling, Procurement, Transportation, Storage, Consumption and Total Enjoyment of Caju Feni?"
"That's quite a mouthful, but yes something like that. Would make a great article"
"Actually Naresh I was thinking of a book. Something permanent which will be quoted from for posterity. I've already designed the jacket in my head. It will have ..."
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The article above appeared in SEE Goa magazine dated December 2006
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