Tongba is a traditional alcoholic beverage from Nepal made from fermented finger millet. It is particularly popular in the eastern mountainous regions of Nepal and surrounding areas.
How it is made
Tongba is made from cooked and then fermented finger millet, a type of millet that grows in Africa and Asia. The cooked millet is mixed with murchi, a mixture of bacteria and yeast, and placed in a covered bamboo basket in a warm place for 1-2 days. The sweet mass is then stored in a sealed container for another 7-15 days to complete the fermentation process.
How it is served
For consumption, the fermented millet is placed in a special aluminum or wooden container and hot water is poured over it. The mixture must steep for about five minutes before it can be drunk through a thin straw. The process can be repeated three to four times until the flavor is exhausted.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Тонгба, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.