Type | Alcoholic beverage |
---|---|
Country of origin | Bhutan Nepal India (Sikkim, Darjeeling district) |
Region of origin | Western Bhutan, Kirat (present day Eastern Nepal, Sikkim) |
Introduced | Limbu people |
Alcohol by volume | 2–5% |
Proof (US) | 4–10° |
Colour | milky white |
Ingredients | millet, yeast, water etc. |
Related products | Chhaang |
Tongba (Nepali: तोङबा pronounced [toŋba]) is a millet-based alcoholic beverage found in the eastern mountainous region of Nepal, Bhutan and neighbouring Indian regions of Sikkim and Darjeeling.[1][2] [3]; offering it is a sign of respect to a guest, and the drink is also an important element of special occasions and festivals. It is a soft alcoholic drink drank in Tibet for centuries, evidence being the wooden container it is made/drank in. It is also considered the traditional and indigenous drink of the Limbu people.[3]