So, Today I Drank Distilled Cow's Urine

     Wednesday brought with it a visit to a local herbal farm known for its sustainable practices and unique medicinal concoctions. Upon entrance, I was welcomes by a herd of cattle making their way from grazing land to manure pen. Even the cows notice my whiteness. The tour that followed was a delight to the senses as well as the mind, and I was offered several mementos of the day by was of plant leaves and Indian fruit. Jam, by the way, is one of the most interesting foreign fruits I've ever come across. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend giving one a try. 

     But really, though. The cows.

(The sound in this video is garbled, so you may want to watch without audio for the best view)

     It is no wonder that cows in India are so prized as to be thought of as too sacred to be slaughtered for meat. What the cows here provide allows for life to function—there is little to no waste. The milk produced can be drunk straight, but can also be used to make butter, cream, or ghee (“clarified” butter). More than milk, however, cow dung can be utilized to create manure to fertilize the land for crops. Cow urine is often used as a home treatment for a variety of ailments, and is generally seen as a wellness booster for the old and young alike. To visitors, this may sound unpalatable, but the locals continue to swear by its healing properties.

     And yes, I drank distilled cow's urine. I couldn't put words to the tingling sensation that accompanied swallowing it, but my mouth definitely took on a lighter taste afterwards. It was strangely...refreshing.  

     Ghee cows are rich brown in color, sleek in shape, and have a distinctive hump on their backs that mark them as cows that produce milk that is excellent for ghee production. Clarified butter is not necessarily butter as such, but rather the outcome of a long process of heating and separating curds from milk. For a better description, click here.

 

(My introduction to Ghee cows was being on the sideline of  the movement of the herd)

     These cows are not aggravated to produce more milk than they normally would for their calves, and so produce about half as much as a normal dairy cow here. Their caretaker, a kind man who spoke no English, explained to my teacher and me that he has named each of the cows, and each is able to respond to his name in turn. The younger ones, the calves of only 20 days or so, will come to nurse only when their names are called. Even their eyes are a soft brown. 

     The cow dung is collected and gathered in a small pit that captures the methane gas produced for the cooking and energy needs of the family that lives on this land. The dung is then transferred yet again to the manure tent, where it will sit with other organic compounds to create manure for fertilizer. After 54 days, the dung has been successfully changed into manure, and can then be used for the farmland. Cow urine is also extracted and distilled here so that it can be made into medications that aid in wellness and longevity. When drunk, it has a slight burn at the back of the mouth and down into the throat, but it is a warm taste that is surprisingly palatable. Ha!

      The farm itself is lush and green—the plants thrive in the red soil, and the rains that are beginning give life to the land. As we walked through the herb garden, the manager who led the tour offered us tastes of the herbs, most of which were meant for relieving colds and respiratory tract discomforts (a small blessing due to my own current ailment). From the mint and turmeric that we touched and ate, my favorites were by far the touch-me-not plant—a plant who reacts to stimulus applied to the back of the leaf’s stem by retracting its leaves—and a powerfully astringent flower that causes a cool tingling sensation when placed upon the tongue. Oh, it was a lovely visit. 

     The sugar cane here grows in thick stalks that climb to twice my height, if not more. During her childhood, Prafu would run through the thick forest of stalks while braving the cuts and scrapes that came with the thick, sharp leaves. Even as a child, she found thin stalks to bend and uproot in order to strip the leaves from the stalk and run her teeth along the center. This, in her words, is how the young children came to know sweetness—not from the refined sugar, but from the sugar cane itself that grew near to her.  


 

     Finally, I want to share with you one of the many ways that home has reached into my present. While touring the garden, I was introduced to the Arjun tree, which bears a bark-like fruit in the shape of a star. It is named for the warrior who has also given his name to my brother, and sent a pang through my heart at the thought of my family so many miles from this remarkable place. 

     Here's lookin' at you, kid