Traditional fermented foods and beverages of Darjeeling and Sikkim--a review

The various ethnic groups of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal and Sikkim consume a variety of fermented foods including kinema (based on soya beans), gundruk (Brassica campestris leaves), sinki (radish, Raphanus sativus), mesu (bamboo shoots), churpi (milk), shel roti (rice preparation) and jnards (beers). These have not previously been investigated, and their method of preparation and consumption are reported here. The flora of murcha, the starter culture of jnards, contains mainly Pediococcus, yeasts belonging to the genera Saccharomycopsis, Pichia and Saccharomyces and the moulds Rhizopus and Mucor.