MARGAO
In a bid to bring standardization of cashew feni and help market the product in a big way in the country and abroad, leading feni distillers, Cazcar Heritage Distillery has tied up with Margao-based Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science for a research project on feni as part of the industry-academia collaboration.
The research project titled “Isolation and characterization of yeasts from naturally fermented cashew apple juice” will be conducted by microbiologist, Supriya Khorjuvenkar of Chowgule college under the guidance of Dr S B Barbuddhe, Director, Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Hyderabad.
This research project is wholly funded by the Cazcar Heritage Distillery.
Addressing the media, Gurudatta Bhakta, Managing Director, Cazcar Heritage Distillery, said, “Feni is one of the factors among others for Goa’s identity and many small people are dependent for earnings during the cashew season. With this collaboration we hope to get the required quality from the bhaticars, thus catering to the foreign market, getting a better price for the people involved in the trade.”
He added: “Cazcars have pioneered the fermentation technology in association with The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and have therefore been able to enter the American market after intensive quality tests. The amendment to the Excise Act also clearly defined the roadmap for feni to position itself on equal footing to the world-famous Scotch Whisky and Tequila in 2016. The policy had defined yeast as unicellular fungi responsible for fermentation through the naturally occurring yeast present in the cashew apples which will be the base for standardizing feni for the world market”.
Incidentally, though the Geographical Indication (GI) Certification for Goa was certified in the year 2007, the government of Goa had notified Caju Feni as a “Heritage Spirit” in the year 2016, thereby upgrading and enhancing its image.
“The research will be completed in two years time, wherein the Chowgule College will be interacting with the bhaticars, the local traditional distillers, seeking inputs and shortlist the best of micro-organism, which will be given the best quality and reduce the strong aroma of cashew feni,” Bhakta said, adding that Cazcar wants to take the fermentation technology to the small bhaticars.
Founder of Cazulo Premium feni Hansel Vaz said the entire exercise is aimed at taking feni to the next level. “We have been practising the process of distillation, not just in a traditional way, but historic, it is a process that is in play for around 300 years. We are still working that way for years now, but for the industry, it throws up challenges in a fast-paced world, where efficiency matters and there are no production losses”, Hansel said.
Dr Shaila Ghanti, Principal, Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science said, “This research project is a perfect example of creating a nurturing environment where the industry and the academia can work hand-in-hand. “As a result of corporate partnerships with academia, our college will have more opportunities to undertake research and to help diversify research areas into design and development of innovative processes and potential products,” she added.
