a native Ilocano fermented wine in San Ildefonso Ilocos Sur.

Basi is made by crushing

Basi
is
sugarcane and extracting the Juice. The Juice is boiled in vats and stored in earthen
jars (tapayan). The moment that it has been cooled, flavorings made of ground glutinous
rice or bark from other fruits may be added for unique and added aroma. Another
interesting fact about this native wine is that if it is sealed inside the tapayan jars where it ferments for many
years, basi then undergoes another period of fermentation to become a vinegar.

is typically sweet with a reddish color. Making basi at home is a simple process
that only requires a few ingredients and a bit of patience. Interestingly, basi makerd
would classify their basi into either basing lalaki or basing babae. The basing lalaki
tastes dry, potently strong and has a high content of alcohol. While the basing
babae tastes rather sweet and has lesser alcohol content.
Drinking basi should be in moderation. We don’t want to be alcoholic. But, when it comes to local livelihood, this
product is a big help to the locales in the Northern Ilocandia. It is something we need to embrace and support as
it helps many families to cope up with their everyday lives.