Mahua Takes a Global Stroll
For a brief period during the months of March to May, a certain tree found in the Central and North Indian forests begins to bloom. The flowers of this tree, madhuca longifolia, commonly known as mahua, start dropping soon after and are collected and sold by the tribal people of that area, who revere this tree, its flowers, its seeds, and its byproducts.
The mahua tree is a vital part of the traditions of tribal cultures in and around north-central India. The flowers of the tree make a noted appearance in some form at every function, in every custom, in any season. It is integral to their way of life, and its uses range from food to disinfectants.
The speciality of this tree is the rough country liquor, also named mahua, made from its sun-dried, nectar-rich flowers and consumed by tribal people during their cultural functions and social gatherings. This spirit is the world’s only pot-distilled spirit made from naturally sweet flowers.
Surrounded by a rich history, colourful folk tales and legends, a strong heritage, considered the nectar of gods and also their weakness, the spirit has the potential to be a quintessentially Indian drink, a national heritage alcoholic beverage, much like the tequila from Mexico or the scotch from Scotland.
Mahua spirit is unique to India, and a source of great pride for tribal people who swear by it. Surrounded by a rich history, colourful folk tales and legends, a strong heritage, considered the nectar of gods and also their weakness, the spirit has the potential to be a quintessentially Indian drink, a national heritage alcoholic beverage, much like the tequila from Mexico or the scotch from Scotland. And one man has started the journey of a thousand steps to make this dream a reality. His name is Desmond Nazareth, Founder and MD of Agave India, and he has put out two mahua-based products under his DesmondJi brand called DJ Mahua, and DJ Mahua Liqueur.
Over 1 million tonnes of flowers are harvested and sold annually, with at least 95% of these flowers distilled and consumed by the tribal people, for whom these flowers are a vital source of income. It is food, medicine, and drink to them. “Forests may be cleared for agriculture or other purposes but the mahua trees are left alone, with the ownership of these trees staying within a family. One of the tribal people told me that a mahua tree was like an ATM - a ready source of cash. Ten healthy trees can provide for a family of four for a year,” added Desmond.
“One of the first things we learnt about mahua is the great difficulty in making it officially on our own. We had to go through over 5 years of red tape with three state governments to source and process the flowers, and to sell our mahua alcohol,” says Desmond, formerly an amateur cocktail maker, who serendipitously started researching alcohol and spirits almost twenty years ago to come up with his brand.
“Around the year 2001, I heard about a tribal drink that was made from flowers called mahua. I noted a floral, sweet sensory aspect, and it occurred to me that it could be made into an amazing alcohol,” says Desmond. His idea wouldn’t be brought to fruition for another 12 years. In the interim, he concentrated on building his original brand of Agave spirits, spending over a decade on R&D and building his rural, eco-friendly craft distillery (a first in India) in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. “In 2011, we launched our first Indian agave-based spirits. In two years, after our artisanal Indian agave spirits earned a name both in India and aboard, we decided to apply for permissions to make an official mahua spirit,” he added. What followed was years of overcoming red tape that would allow Agave India to export the flowers from central India for distillation to Andhra Pradesh and also allow the sale of the beverage in Goa.
In mid-2018, Desmond finally succeeded in launching his mahua-based spirits in Goa. DJ Mahua is essentially made the way the tribal people make it (except using multiple distillations and following international quality standards), and DJ Mahua Liqueur has DJ Mahua spirit with honey and spices.
The final taste and quality of the product vary depending on the distillation process. For the tribal people, mahua is a traditional drink that forms part of their culture, therefore, its presence matters more than the quality of the drink. Hence, they employ a simple, single-pot distillation method using readily available starter materials for performing the process of fermentation. Typically, no great care is taken while making the spirit since it is meant for immediate consumption. So, ultimately the final product differs in quality and taste and has a very limited shelf life. In contrast, technical purists like Desmond insist on strict levels of hygiene right from the time the flowers are collected because the end product needs to last long for purposes of distribution. So, a multiple distillation system is employed, using stainless steel pot-stills, which ensures a pure product with a long shelf-life.
There are all kinds of claims about mahua being medicinal, and given that it is a naturally sweet flower, it has benefits, but these claims have not yet been extensively studied. “We have suggested to several state governments that they start a national Mahua Research Institute, precisely to answer questions like these. Mahua is a rich field of study with a significant economic value chain in the tribal world,” says Desmond.
The system is exploitative and the taxation on mahua means that the tribal people end up selling flowers at a low value and buy back the flowers from non-tribal traders at higher prices a few months later.
Desmond and his colleague, Conrad Braganza, are focused primarily on taking their super-premium mahua brand global. Desmond has plans to launch an equity crowd-funded venture for mahua in the US. One reason for this is that the process will reach out to people of Indian origin abroad for ownership and participation in an unexpected “proudly made in India” story.
Desmond’s journey down this scenic mahua scented lane has opened up myriad possibilities for other pot-still alcohol entrepreneurs in India to do their own thing.
While the problems faced by Desmond seem a lot, they may seem small compared to the legal obstacles that have hindered the tribal people from having control over their own mahua heritage since colonial times. Different states in the Central India Mahua belt have different laws for tribal people; not only do these laws prevent the tribal community from selling the liquor they make, they also regulate how much they can keep, how much they can sell, and so on.
There is no singular reason for this. The system is exploitative and the taxation on mahua means that the tribal people end up selling flowers at a low value and buy back the flowers from non-tribal traders at higher prices a few months later. Unfortunately, this can cause problems for the tribal people as the mahua is of prime importance to them and restrictions on it can hinder their livelihood.
More importantly, Covid brought the collecting of the mahua flowers to a standstill. In fact, the widespread effect of the pandemic in the tribal areas farthest from the cities is not well-known. Only a few sporadic reports coming in from random places paint a partial picture. While there was nearly no flower collecting done in 2020, the business has picked up in 2021, but still it is unclear how much the pandemic affected the livelihood of the tribal people.
Over the years, there have been many proposals to governments to change the circumstances for tribal people; to change the policies that hinder their survival and dependence on mahua. Slowly, changes are happening. Desmond and his colleagues are also doing their part in trying to make this change.
“While we are trying our best to make uniquely Indian mahua a national heritage alcobev, we are also trying to help the tribal people. Since mid-2018 at least, we have been proposing policy changes to several state governments to improve the situation for tribal people by getting rid of the limitations placed on them for the collection, sale and possession of mahua flowers as well as their local mahua drink. Since we work at the ground level with the flower collectors, we pay them premium prices for the flowers we buy. This is the least we can do for now. The same may not be true of others who enter the field.”
Desmond’s concerns are valid. Mahua distillation is relatively new in the country and the process of producing the spirit is not at all simple. Starting with official permissions all the way to selling the spirit is a long and arduous process as can be seen from Desmond’s own experience. So, while currently there are no distillers of Mahua who work from the ground-level all the way to production and sale, if and when matters approach this, it remains to be seen whether the exploitation of tribal flower collectors and sellers will continue.
Owing to its widespread footprint in India, and its history in art and culture, mahua seems a likely candidate for the label of a wholly Indian spirit. Desmond certainly believes this can become a reality.
Owing to its widespread footprint in India, and its history in art and culture, mahua seems a likely candidate for the label of a wholly Indian spirit. Desmond certainly believes this can become a reality. It is noteworthy that some dehydrated mahua flowers were exported to France in 2021 where it is being distilled for trial distribution in Europe.
This is another reason that the state governments in the country might want to take a call on the education of the tribal mahua collectors and sellers. With mahua going global and encouraging both local and international distillers, it is unclear as of now how this globalization of mahua will affect the tribal folk and their traditional spirit. It might be helpful to start teaching them the standard methods for making the spirit, taking all the right precautions, and developing an industry of their own where they can buy and sell their products without the intervention of third-party non-tribal traders. This will greatly boost the economy and living conditions of tribal people.
“The time for mahua has come. It has remained hidden from the world for too long,” says Desmond. “The recent explosion of interest in mahua brings the lives of India’s tribal people into greater focus, showcasing their participation in a matter of national pride and offering a chance to improve their livelihood. All of us must preserve their culture, and help improve their craft so they can access wider markets, and make sure that mahua is never again sidelined or forgotten.”
