Originally, Handia, an ethnic-based drink of the Lodha community, is made of fermented rice, Bakhor tablets, and salt. The drink is mainly based on fermented rice for carbohydrate supply as well as flavouring. The salt is added to improve the taste and balance flavours. According to the Lodha tribe, these ingredients create an effective, nutritious beverage that upholds their culinary heritage. Handia is a provincial fermented beverage among the Lodha tribe. This drink is renowned for its taste and purity as well as the tribal significance it has attached to it. Though slightly alcoholic concentration, the drink is enjoyed during community gathering and celebrations.

For Handia preparation, the fermented rice is soaked such that it becomes a little sour, and thus, combined with the mixed dry Bakhor tablets, a combination of nature's fermentation agents and salt. It is placed in a container and left to be fermented for a few days in a warm environment. During this period, the fermentation develops the characteristic flavour and carbonation of the drink. When the fermentation is complete, Handia drinks are strained and can be savoured as refreshing beverages, often served chilled.

Handia therefore becomes an important drink in Lodha society and is consumed on ceremonial occasions and during festivals, and as an everyday drink. The presence of Handia at community events speaks of the hospitality and togetherness that the tribe embraces-sharing among friends and family. Handia thus serves in rituals and celebrations as a part of social living and the traditions of the tribe. Regular consumption also shows the importance of fermented foods in the Lodha diet for nourishment and identity within the group.

The unique ingredient in Handia is the Bakhor tablets, which are needed to initiate the fermentation process. They are herbs taken from the jungle and converted into natural fermenting agents and are a traditional memory of the Toto tribe about fermentation. Besides enhancing the flavour, Bakhor tablets also add nutritional value to Handia; hence, the drink is tasty, thus beneficial. This ingredient emphasizes a tribe's link to their biodiversity and their efficiency in exploiting resources to organically produce what becomes culturally significant food.