Preparation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Phabs</i> - an indigenous starter culture for production of traditional alcoholic beverage, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Chhang,</i> in Ladakh

Abstract

<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Phabs </i>is an indigenous<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i>inoculum of the Trans-Himalayan Ladakh region of India. It is used by the people of Ladakh for the fermentation of two traditional barley based alcoholic beverages <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">chhang</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">aarak</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Chhang</i> is an important part of sociocultural life of local inhabitants and its consumption is more common than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">aarak</i>. The paper deals with the indigenous method of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">phabs </i>preparation by the people of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Nubra</i> valley of Ladakh. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Phabs</i> is made from the coarse flour of husked roasted barley (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hordeum</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">vulgare </i>L<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">.</i>). Fresh twigs of shrub <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Artemisia </i>sp<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">. </i>locally available is used to incubate the fresh tablet of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">phabs</i>. In traditional medicine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">phabs</i> is used in hydrotherapy to treat arthritis and joints pain.