Cheunjit Prakitchaiwattana
Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University
Thai wines generally originate from homemade production based on local expertise inherited through generations. In the past, wines were traditionally produced for local consumption and sometimes specially made as seasonal or cultural products. There are diverse regional varieties of Thai wines, such as rice wine, rice husk wine, and palm wine. Currently, indigenous wines are only available in local areas, challenging drinkers to explore and experience their unique taste and aroma. The quality and specific characteristics of these indigenous wines depend mainly upon wine maker’s techniques and types of raw materials, allowing wines from different regions to have their own charm. Therefore, these indigenous wines could be potentially developed as unique local cultural products for the tourism market.
Over the last decade, many Thai fruits possessing attractive colors, aroma and taste, including longan, lychee, mangosteen, banana, tamarind and mulberry, have been used for wine making. These unique wines are consumed locally, yet have high potential for worldwide distribution. Apart from attractive characteristics, many fruit wines also serve as an important adjunct to the human diet and have interesting medicinal properties which help increase the charm of these wines. Therefore, given the charms of Thai fruit wines, they could be potentially developed for a global market if these products are given support to be manufactured on an industrial scale with consistent quality.
(Presented in the 2012 Asian Food Heritage Forum: Harmonizing Culture , Technology and Industry, 20-21 August 2012, Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Chinese Dietary Culture Institute, Zhejiang Gongshang University, and Ministry of Culture, Thailand)