Book Description

8000 years of history and 45,000 species of indigenous plant, one would expect a bouquet of flavors from the land of spices. Yet India suffer from Xenophillia. Colas, IMFL and western style drinks dominate the market. Be it Yoga, Ayurveda, spiritual movements or traditions. Many of the lost Indian arts were revered in the west before they could be accepted and revived domestically. Most IPA lovers are not even aware of its Indian roots. What, how & when of home brewing. Demystifying the ancient process of fermentation. With detailed cultural references to 25 styles from across the globe and DIY equipment, this book makes brewing entertaining and yet affordable hobby. If your goal is innovate and revive a food tradition, then this is a must read. कर्म कर्ता क्रिया || The two biggest oxymoron in Indian market are IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and Blended Scotch. Nobody is sure what is Indian and what is foreign in IMFL. Blended scotch can have any amount of imported liquor, domestic liquor and cheap molasses. Molasses, a black tar like residue from sugar processing, is an industrial waste and a byproduct from sugar processing. It is the main culprit to the hangover one gets after consuming cheap liquors, yet there is no mass movement to regulate it. “Terroir”, the French word that talks about the natural harmony of cli-mate, soil, water and the people from a region is completely missing in Indian food and beverage industry. Even today, most of the microbrewery hire foreign staff and import their entire requirements of hops, malt and yeast. By constantly judging our product on western standards, we kill the possibility of innovation & freedom of expression. Twenty years ago, when I first made my batch, there was very little information and awareness about fermentation at home. Fancy words like home-brewing were not even coined and the customer preferences were shifting from heirloom traditions to packaged food and beverages. This book is a small attempt to reverse this trend. What, How, and When. This is a step by step guide is a mash-up of history, science, logic and simple common sense. Firstly, a bit of history, background and culture to create inquisitiveness. Then 25 simple recipes to reassure the reader that the process is easy, simple and fun. Finally, a lifelong quest to master the art of balancing the delicate sensory notes. The science of how small tweaks in process or ingredients impacts the final product. Unlike a typical recipe book, we do not want to make instant-noodle-chefs out of our readers. This is more like a guided journey to self-discovery. The readers can scientifically understand what they are doing and why. How to perfect our craft, innovate and revive a food tradition.