Preparation of Chyang, an ethnic fermented beverage of the Himalayas, using different raw cereals

• Main Authors: Swati Ray, David Joseph Bagyaraj, George Thilagar, Jyoti P. Tamang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2016-12-01
• Series: Journal of Ethnic Foods
• Subjects: beverage; Chyang; Kodo ko jaanr; Marcha; ragi
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115300172

Background: The traditional drink of the North-eastern parts of India, Chyang or locally known Kodo ko jaanr, is one of the most nutritious drinks. The mild-alcoholic, sweet-flavored beverage, because of high calories, vitamin content, beneficial lactic acid bacteria, and yeast, is considered more as food than an alcoholic beverage. The substrate traditionally used for its preparation is barley or ragi. Methods: This study mainly dealt with the preparation of Chyang using different substrates such as ragi only or ragi in combination with wheat, sorghum, and rice in the ratio of 3:1. Results: After performing aerobic and anaerobic fermentation of these combinations of substrate using the culture Marcha, a milky white beverage was obtained with a thin precipitate. Different tests like pH, titratable acidity, alcohol percentage, microbial count, and sensory analysis of the beverages were performed. Conclusion: The tests suggest the combination of ragi + sorghum to be the best substrate in terms of total quality and overall acceptability.