Any experience making "Feni" from Goa, India?

[cIRCitmage]

I'm trying to make my home village drink "Cashew Feni" ... most folks would know it from Goa, India

The traditional way to make this is pretty low-tech ... stomp the ingredients in rough stone pits, collect the juice, open air ferment in partially buried clay pots, heat over coconut husk fire and "condense" collect vapor ... do this three times and you have Feni (once is Urrak, twice is Cazulo)

I'm wondering if anyone knows how to source Cashew Apple in the USA - frozen or raw ... not interested in the nut, but the pseudofruit above the nut for the critical fermentable ... I can find cashew apple juice in Brazilian grocery stores, but it includes preservative which prevents fermentation

[Bushman]

Interesting, I had to google it and it sounds like it is either made from either coconut or cashew apples as the more common recipes. I am not familiar with cashew apples and I live in one of the largest apple producers in the US. Learn something new everyday sorry I don’t have an answer for you but I will try and do a little more research on the apples.
Looks like they grow in a tropical area and are called an apple or nut. Interesting it also said the fruit smells and tastes sweet. If you have had original Feni can you describe it’s taste? Sounds like it would make a nice liqueur.

[amylazy]

Would something like this work? Cashew Fruit Jam https://www.etsy.com/listing/879557521/ ... ic=1&cns=1
The ingredients are Cashew Fruit, Brown Sugar, Lemon and Water.
It is already pre-smashed for you as well just add to your clay pots and open air ferment.

Buy a few jars and do a small batch to see if you get the flavors you are looking for.
Then I would hit them up and see if they would share where they get the raw fruit to make the jam they buy in bulk.

Other things I found were Brazil seems to be the largest producer of Cashew Apples, It is a stretch but there could be a supplier that imports the fruit by the ton in the united states you could purchase from directly for a larger batch.

[cIRCitmage]

...sorry I don’t have an answer for you but I will try and do a little more research on the apples.

Thanks ... Any helkp is appreciated ... FYI - from what I've been able to read, Cashew Apple is actually a "Pesudofruit" ... technically, it's an engorged part of the stem and not a true fruit in the formal sense
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Cashew

Looks like they grow in a tropical area and are called an apple or nut. Interesting it also said the fruit smells and tastes sweet. If you have had original Feni can you describe it’s taste? Sounds like it would make a nice liqueur.

The nut is separate from the fruit ... acres of these grew behind my grandfather's property in Goa ... True "Cashew Feni" is triple distilled (Urrak once, Cazulo twice) ... Foreshots and heads are not separated ... the smell is potent and unique - sweet, astringent, tropical (think burning coconut husks mixed with wet earth) ... you will smell of Feni the next day, which I find actually pleasant ... the taste is acquired, newbies will *not* like it ... consequently, most Westerners will be introduced to this elixir in a sweet cocktail of some sort ... locally, we'll mix with Limca and small dash of salt, but Feni aficionados will sip neat ... it's about 50%ABV, but as it's a village made, local drink, the ABV varies by day/distiller/season

[cIRCitmage]

Would something like this work? Cashew Fruit Jam https://www.etsy.com/listing/879557521/ ... ic=1&cns=1

THANKS!!!! ... I placed an order to test it out ... the seller said she used no preservatives ... AWESOME FIND!!

Other things I found were Brazil seems to be the largest producer of Cashew Apples, It is a stretch but there could be a supplier that imports the fruit by the ton in the united states you could purchase from directly for a larger batch.

I've hit up quite a few local Brazilian stores and may have found a local source who stock the pulp frozen and unadulterated ... I'll keep you folks updated

[cIRCitmage]

Found the needed fermentable at a local Brazilian grocery store! ... I had called around and they didn't even know they had it ... Frozen Cashew Apple pulp - "Icefruit - Polpa de Caju" ... It's been pasteurized but has no preservatives ... Should be perfect ... Stay tuned

[River Rat]

I've never heard of feni. Never heard of a cashew apple either, but this is interesting. I'll be waiting in suspense for your updates. Sounds like a very interesting and unique drink with a lot of history.

[cIRCitmage]

I've never heard of feni. Never heard of a cashew apple either, but this is interesting. I'll be waiting in suspense for your updates. Sounds like a very interesting and unique drink with a lot of history.

Surprisingly, there are a few videos of the traditional process on YouTube ... here is one close to what I remember

[Hectorlandaeta]

I know for sure that the pulp is processed industrially in Brazil, it's called "Cajú" there, but what I'm not sure of is if they sell it in that form. It should, as the nectar of it can be had made by various bottlers. I personally like it a lot and once found a Tetrabrik pack in a Brazilian supermarket in Orlando, FL. Don't know why an enterprising person hasn't tried to grow it in these parts yet.

[amylazy]

Would something like this work? Cashew Fruit Jam https://www.etsy.com/listing/879557521/ ... ic=1&cns=1

THANKS!!!! ... I placed an order to test it out ... the seller said she used no preservatives ... AWESOME FIND!!

Other things I found were Brazil seems to be the largest producer of Cashew Apples, It is a stretch but there could be a supplier that imports the fruit by the ton in the united states you could purchase from directly for a larger batch.

I've hit up quite a few local Brazilian stores and may have found a local source who stock the pulp frozen and unadulterated ... I'll keep you folks updated

Awesome can't wait to see the final product. I might need to try this some day.

[cIRCitmage]

Awesome can't wait to see the final product. I might need to try this some day.

Hopefully the last parts of the equipment I need to start doing this arrive in the next few days or so ... I'll report out on how close I get to what I remember being the best firewater ever

[cIRCitmage]

Getting close ... just need the heater elements to arrive and build the dual PID & SCR