Origin of Judima

Judima is an integral part of the Dimasa community's social and cultural life. From the time a child is born, till the passing of a person and everything in between, Judima is an indispensable part of the Dimasa community. It is served in almost every occasions such as birth, marriage, funerals and festivals.  The history of Judima is passed down through generations as an oral tradition, and it holds a significant place in the culture. The story of Judima begins with Banju, a widow who had two sons. These sons were engaged in jhum cultivation, a practice that requires the field to be burned before planting. It is time-consuming, often taking the entire day. Farmers must first clear the land by cutting down and burning vegetation, which is physically demanding and requires a lot of time. Because the fields are often far from home, and the work can last until late in the day, it becomes impractical for the sons to return home for meals. Therefore, they pack food from home in advance to eat in the fields. The sons would prepare their meals and pack them securely in banana leaves, using bamboo to hang the food on a tree branch while they worked in the fields. However, when they later took out their lunches to eat, they found that the food had become stale, even though it had been packed fresh. This happened several times, leaving them puzzled. The curious sons asked their mother for an explanation. She told them that she always packed the food tightly and ensured it was fresh.

Later, the sons realized something was affecting the food while it hung on the tree. They deduced that something from the tree was interacting with the food, causing it to ferment and become stale. They also noticed that the water that dripped from the food tasted different and even had a mild intoxicating effect on them. Intrigued by this, the sons decided to experiment and make something similar. The tree from which they hung their food was called khemra, a type of creeper. The sons began by cutting small pieces of the tree's bark and mixing them with rice cakes called Humao. After drying this mixture, they let it ferment. They then mixed the dry ingredients with water, separated the liquid, and stored it to continue fermenting. This fermented liquid eventually became Judima, the traditional rice wine. Through this process, the sons not only discovered the art of fermentation but also created the revered drink that would become a staple in their culture for marking important life events.