Murcha is a traditional Nepali fermentation starter primarily used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as rice beer (thwon, jaand or chyang) and distilled spirits (rakshi). It consists of a mixture of wild yeast, molds, and bacteria, cultivated on a substrate of rice or other grains.
The organisms used in murcha are naturally sourced from the local environment, and its preparation involves mixing powdered grains with previously prepared murcha.