Assam is a paradise for food lovers. The state’s culinary delights strike the perfect blend of fresh, local ingredients and a unique blend of sweet and sour flavours. Recently, celebrity chef Sarah Todd embarked on a culinary journey in Assam and tried her hand at making their traditional rice beer, apong, in the river island of Majuli. In a post shared on Instagram, she explained that Apong is a specialty beer of the Mising tribe. It is made using a centuries-old fermentation process that reflects the deep cultural knowledge of the community.
Apong is considered sacred and is symbolic of the deep bond between people and the land. It is served at weddings, births, harvests, and even funerals.
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Here Is How To Make Apong (Fermented Rice Beer) From Assam:
1. First, roast rice over an open fire and mix it with over 20 foraged herbs, native to Assam.
2. Pack that mix into bamboo baskets and cover with banana leaves. Leave it to ferment for 6 days.
3. After fermentation, take a muslin cloth and filter the mix through it to extract the rice beer.
Describing the rice beer’s taste, Sarah said that it has a really “interesting flavour”. She claimed it to be very different from regular beer. “It’s got a really sour, fermented flavour. It’s really yummy and refreshing,” she said.
Sarah concluded her post with: “I felt so lucky to be a small part of this process. It reminded me that food and drink, when made like this, are never just for sustenance—they’re a way to keep identity alive.”
Are you excited to see what’s next in chef Sarah Todd’s culinary adventures?
