Fermented / Traditional India · Indigenous High Confidence

Handia

Fermented rice beer of the Santali, Munda, and Oraon communities. Made with ranu herbal tablets. Sacred, social, and seasonal.

Verified against FSSAI · Ministry of Tribal Affairs India · Anthropological Survey of India · State Excise Acts · Last verified May 2026
Documentation — FSSAI + Ministry of Tribal Affairs + Anthropological Survey of India

Handia (also spelled Haria) is a traditional fermented rice beer produced by tribal communities including Santali, Munda, Oraon, and Ho peoples in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, India. Produced by cooking rice, mixing with ranu tablets (dried herbs, barks, and wild yeasts), and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation over 3 to 7 days. Typically 4 to 8% ABV. Not formally GI-registered. Regulated under respective state excise laws.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India; FSSAI, FDA Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi 110 002

What is Handia?

Handia (sometimes called Haria) is a fermented rice beer made by tribal communities across eastern India. It is not a distilled spirit but a fermented beverage of typically 4 to 8% alcohol, with a cloudy, slightly sour character. It is one of India's oldest continuously practised fermented food traditions.

The defining feature of Handia is ranu — the fermentation starter. Ranu is a tablet or cake made from a mixture of dried plants, barks, roots, and leaves, embedded with wild yeast and bacterial cultures. Each community maintains its own ranu formulation, passed down through generations. The botanical ingredients in ranu vary by region but commonly include rice husks, Woodfordia fruticosa (dhai flowers), various barks, and locally specific plants. The diversity of ranu formulations means Handia from different villages tastes significantly different — a genuine terroir of fermentation starters.

Handia in social and ceremonial life
Handia is inseparable from the social and ceremonial life of Santali, Munda, Oraon, and related communities. It is served at every major ceremony — weddings, festivals, agricultural celebrations, community dispute resolutions, and funeral rites. The production of Handia is traditionally a women’s task; the knowledge of ranu preparation is transmitted from mother to daughter. Offering Handia to a guest is the highest expression of hospitality in many of these communities.

Production Process

Traditional Handia production follows consistent steps with community-specific variations:

  • Rice preparation: glutinous or non-glutinous rice is cooked and spread to cool to approximately 30°C.
  • Ranu application: dried ranu tablets are ground to powder and mixed with the cooled cooked rice. The ranu provides both saccharifying mould enzymes (predominantly Rhizopus species) and wild yeast cultures.
  • Fermentation: the inoculated rice is packed into an earthen pot (matka), covered with leaves (banana or sal), and fermented for 3 to 7 days. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation proceed.
  • Extraction: water is added and strained through cloth or bamboo sieve. The resulting cloudy liquid is Handia — consumed immediately.

Ranu — the botanical fermentation starter

Research by Jeyaram et al. (2008) and Tamang et al. documented over 30 botanical species used in ranu formulations across communities. Microbial communities include primarily Rhizopus oryzae and R. oligosporus (amylase-producing moulds), Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia species, and lactic acid bacteria producing a beverage with both alcoholic and mild acidic character.

Regulatory Status

Handia is classified as an alcoholic beverage subject to state excise laws. Most states with significant tribal populations have provisions permitting community production for personal and ceremonial use without commercial licensing. The Jharkhand Excise Act and Odisha Excise Act both contain tribal exemption provisions. Commercial sale requires licensing.

Research and Regulatory Authorities

Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India — Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi 110 001 · tribal.nic.in. Policy documentation on tribal traditional beverages.

FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) — FDA Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi 110 002 · fssai.gov.in · +91 11 2323 1263. National food safety authority.

Jharkhand Excise Department — Ranchi, Jharkhand 834 001 · jharkhandexcise.gov.in. State licensing authority.

Anthropological Survey of India — 27 Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 016 · ansi.gov.in. Ethnographic documentation of tribal communities.

Primary Sources

1
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi 110 001. tribal.nic.in.
2
FSSAI. FDA Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi 110 002. fssai.gov.in. +91 11 2323 1263.
3
Tamang, J.P. (2010). Himalayan Fermented Foods: Microbiology, Nutrition, and Ethnic Values. CRC Press.
4
Jeyaram, K. et al. (2008). Ranu microbial diversity documentation. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.
5
Anthropological Survey of India. People of India series. 27 Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 016. ansi.gov.in.
This page documents traditional practices and regulatory frameworks relating to Handia. The communities whose traditions are described hold cultural rights over this knowledge. See full disclaimer.