A Special Drink from India: Fenny
In a small part of India called Goa, families make a very special drink called Fenny. It is a strong liquor that people have made for hundreds of years. Fenny has a fruity flavor. You can make it from cashew fruit or from a special juice inside coconut trees. This juice is called sap. Making this drink is a lot of work!
Climbing High for the Ingredients
The workers who collect the juice are called “toddy tappers.” They are very brave. Every morning, they wake up very early. They have to climb very tall trees, sometimes 100 feet high! They use their strength to go up the trunk. One worker, Milagres, has done this since he was 14 years old. He is not afraid of falling. He collects the juice in small pots. This is a very dangerous job, but it is a tradition in his family.
How Fenny is Made
After they collect the juice, they need to distill it. They use a special process to make the alcohol strong. In the past, people thought Fenny was a “poor man’s drink.” It was not famous in other countries. Now, producers in Goa want to change its image. They want everyone in the world to know that Fenny is a high-quality, artisanal drink.
The Future of Fenny
Producers want to do what Mexico did with Mezcal. Mezcal was also a local drink, but now it is famous everywhere. Goa is trying to reinvent Fenny. They are showing how hard the work is and how natural the ingredients are. They hope there will be a global demand for this rare Indian liquor.
In conclusion, Fenny is more than just a drink. It is part of the cottage industry in Goa. The workers are proud of their work, and they hope the world will soon appreciate their precious tradition.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquor | /ˈlɪkər/ | A strong alcoholic drink. | The Indian drink called fenny can contain up to 40% alcohol. |
| Flavor | /ˈfleɪvər/ | The taste of something. | It has a strong fruity flavor. |
| Distill | /dɪˈstɪl/ | To make a liquid pure or strong using heat. | Families here in the state of Goa have been distilling it for centuries. |
| Sap | /sæp/ | The liquid inside a plant or tree. | It’s made from cashew fruit or from the sap inside coconut trees. |
| Precious | /ˈpreʃəs/ | Very valuable or important. | Locals here risk their lives to retrieve the precious ingredient. |
| Artisanal | /ˌɑːrtɪˈzænəl/ | Made by hand in a traditional way. | Rebranding it as an artisanal drink. |
| Demand | /dɪˈmænd/ | When many people want to buy something. | What will it take to reinvent the image of fenny and spur global demand? |
| Exercise | /ˈeksərsaɪz/ | Physical activity to keep your body healthy. | First he exercises for 15 minutes. |
| Cottage industry | /ˈkɒtɪdʒ ˈɪndəstri/ | A small business that people do in their homes. | Toddy tapping is a cottage industry in Goa. |
| Strength | /strɛŋθ/ | The power in your body. | He uses nothing but his body strength to hoist himself up. |
| Fear | /fɪər/ | The feeling of being afraid of something. | Over the years he’s overcome the fear of falling. |
| Dangerous | /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ | Something that can hurt you or cause an accident. | Climbing 100 feet to get the ingredient is very dangerous. |
| Reinvent | /ˌriːɪnˈvɛnt/ | To change something to make it look new. | What will it take to reinvent the image of fenny? |
| Appreciate | /əˈpriːʃieɪt/ | To see how good or valuable something is. | They hope people will appreciate the traditional way of making fenny. |
| Ingredient | /ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/ | One of the things used to make a food or drink. | Cashew fruit is a key ingredient for this liquor. |
Vocabulary Flashcards
Lexical Focus: Collocations & Chunks
Don’t just learn isolated words—learn chunks of language. These patterns will help you speak more naturally.
-
squeezing fruit juice
Action Phrase
Squeezing fruit juice is the first step in making this liquor. -
rare type of liquor
Noun Phrase
Fenny is a rare type of liquor only made in Goa. -
distilling it for centuries
Verb Phrase
Families have been distilling it for centuries in India. -
risk their lives
Idiom
Locals risk their lives climbing tall trees to collect the sap. -
poor man’s drink
Expression
Fenny was once seen as a poor man’s drink in the past. -
global market
Noun Phrase
Mezcal makers found a global market by changing their image. -
break of dawn
Time Expression
Milagres has to wake up at the break of dawn every day. -
body strength
Noun Phrase
He uses his body strength to climb the coconut tree. -
fear of falling
Noun Phrase
Over the years, he has overcome his fear of falling. -
artisanal drink
Noun Phrase
They want to sell fenny as a high-quality artisanal drink.
De-Chunking: Complete the Expressions
Select the correct phrase from the box below to complete the sentences from the video.
poor man’s drink
break of dawn
body strength
fear of falling
1. is the first step in making this rare liquor.
2. Fenny has a reputation of being a , similar to how Mezcal was once seen.
3. Milagres has to wake up at the to start his work.
4. He uses nothing but his to climb the tall trunk.
5. Over the many years he has worked, he has overcome the .
While-viewing Tasks
Complete these tasks while you watch the video to understand the story better.
Guided Notes
Write the information you hear in the video:
- Fenny is a drink from in India.
- You can make it from or from coconut trees.
- Toddy tappers climb up to feet to collect the juice.
- Milagres wakes up at the to start his job.
- He has to climb the trees times a day.
Questions
Answer these short questions:
- How does Fenny taste? Is it fruity or salty?
- What did people think about Fenny in the past? Was it a “rich man’s” or a “poor man’s” drink?
- What country’s drink is Mezcal from?
- How long does it take for Milagres to reach the top of the tree?
- Why does he use an ointment on his body?
Listening Checklist
Check the box when you hear these words or see these things:
- A tall coconut tree
- Squeezing fruit juice
- Mexico
- 15 minutes of exercise
- A small pot for juice
- Alcohol percentage (40%)
Embedded Video:
Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Squeezing fruit is the first step in making fenny.
2. Fenny is a drink from the Indian state of .
3. It can contain up to percent alcohol.
4. Families have been making fenny for .
5. You can make it from fruit or coconut trees.
6. Workers climb feet to get the sap.
7. Milagres wakes up at the break of .
8. He for 15 minutes before starting his job.
9. Tapping for juice is a cottage in Goa.
10. Milagres learned how to climb from a when he was 14.
11. He uses his body to move up the tree trunk.
12. Mezcal is a famous drink from .
13. Producers want to sell fenny as an drink.
14. They want to reinvent the of fenny.
15. There is hope for a global for this liquor.
Vocabulary Quiz
Fact or Fiction Quiz
Extension Activities
Try these activities after you finish the video.
My Favorite Tradition
Write 3 or 4 sentences about a special tradition or a traditional drink in your country. What is it? How do people make it?
Easy
Role Play: The Toddy Tapper
Work with a partner. One person is a reporter and the other is Milagres, the toddy tapper. Ask him questions about his day. How does he feel? Why does he do his job?
Medium
Design a Poster for Fenny
In a group of 3 or 4, design a poster to sell Fenny to the world. Draw a picture and write a catchphrase. Why should people try this drink? Use words from the video.
Hard