The Judima rice wine, a famous traditional wine of Assam’s Dimasa tribe, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and becomes the first beverage from the Northeast to get this tag.
The wine is made from rice and some herbs.
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In 2018, the Youth Association for Development and Empowerment (YADEM) of Dima Hasao district moved the Assam Agriculture University (AAU) for its support to get the GI tag for Judima.
The organization submitted its proposal to the Intellectual Property Right Act (IPRA) cell of AAU, asking its support through a proper channel to the Chennai-based GI office to take forward the initiative.
Also read: Assam: Dimasas want GI tag for traditional brew Judima
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According to a media report, before staking a claim for GI tag, the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) relied on historical backgrounds while carrying out the drink’s documentation.
The university worked in close coordination with the Youth Association for Development and Empowerment (YADEM).
The report quoted AAU director of research (agriculture) Dr Ashok Bhattacharyya as saying that the Chennai-based GI Registry shared the information on its website about Judima being granted the honour.
According to reports, scientists Dr Kishore Kumar Sharma, Dr Gargi Sharma and Dr S Maibongsa of the AAU and Dr Uttam Baithari, a professor at Gauhati University, were involved in the application and documentation of the Judima rice wine.
The brew is closely associated with the Dimasas’ social and cultural life.
It is popular even among the non-indigenous people in central Assam and Dimapur in neighbouring Nagaland for its taste and quality.