The first alcoholic beverage that comes to the mind when someone says Goa is Feni. Many of us have visited the city with our friends, to party the night out and enjoy a sip of Feni while we are at it. However, what many people wouldn’t know is that along with Feni, seasonal drinks like Urrak and Neero are slowly gaining popularity amongst youngsters. Every year, in the first month of summer, across Goa, Urrak, is made by the local folks. It is very popular in the state's many local pubs and taverns. Urrak contains sediments of cashew apple, and has very low shelf life compared to the Feni and should be consumed as fresh as possible. Neero on the other hand is sweet, unfermented cashew juice. While you must have had the Urrak more times than the Neero, the latter has become all the rage, of late. It's hard to make Neero and nearly impossible to store it for long periods and so the drink has attained a sort of ‘exclusive’ status. Here's how it's made: The juice of cashew apples is first extracted for Urrak and Feni. A weight is then placed on the cashew apple pulp that remains. A rope tied to the weight helps to get the most out of the crushed cashew fruit. The clear juice that flows out is Neero. Isn’t that amazing?
If you’re wondering where to buy a bottle of Neero from in Goa, try the 100 year old bakery in Panjim called Mr Baker. Alternatively, you could get this alcoholic beverage from a cashew farm in South Goa. Goan bars also add it to cocktails, mixing it with Campari or sparkling wine while it is in season.
Are you wondering why the Neero isn’t as popular as the Feni? Come summer, Neero, was always looked forward for immediate consumption from March to May. Its extremely limited shelf-life, meant that the drink was usually available only to people living on the cashew-farms or those in their vicinity. However, today, during the brief summer season that’s favourable for Neero to be made, the city and village folk regularly queue up at the cashew properties with empty bottles to buy Neero. Many people wonder why the Neero isn’t marketed as much as Feni in Goa, where there are many cashew plantations. The reason boils down to the nature of this beverage. It's perishable and ferments easily; for this reason, there's reluctance to bottle and retail it.
The fact that Neero hasn’t gotten it’s due share of fame because of Feni and Urrak is about to change. Cashew farmers have begun investing time and energy on experimenting with how to bottle and prolong the shelf life of Neero. They are now turning to machines like mechanical crushers and screw presses to extract the cashew juice. If the farmers succeed in finding a way to extend the shelf life of this beverage, Neero stands a chance at becoming much more popular than even Feni. Why is that you ask? This is because of the many health benefits that this drink has including being great for gut health, like all fermented products are. Cashew apple juice contains carbohydrates, a source of energy, vitamin C and proven probiotic value. This helps in maintaining gastrointestinal health by ensuring a positive gut microbiome. A healthy drink for a healthy and fun life.