Rice beer being made in Arunachal Pradesh

To complete the celebration, the Apatanis drink rice beer, which is a drink common across Arunachal Pradesh, and is made from fermented rice. An herbal root mixture called Ranu is a key ingredient in the preparation of rice beer. Ranu, made of a mixture of 21 ingredients, acts as the fermenting agent in the beer-making process. Ranu is then powdered and mixed with the rice. The fermented juices are then diluted with drinking water to become the celebratory rice beer!

Local rice beer made in Arunachal Pradesh is called opo or apong. There are different varieties of rice beer with different flavours. The Apatani's meal is incomplete without rice beer. Apatani women prepare this rice beer in which different ingredients are introduced.

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