Mapuche Ceremony · Fermented Wheat Drink
Muday
Photo: Ahmad Faiz Mustafa / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Traditionally, the grain used to brew muday was chewed by hand before fermenting, since human saliva's enzymes help break it down into fermentable sugar.
Toasted wheat, corn, or quinoa is ground, mixed with water, and left to ferment into a mildly alcoholic, slightly sour beverage. It's served in small bowls at Mapuche gatherings and increasingly poured for visitors at cultural markets.
Why it's made this way: Muday is central to Mapuche ceremony and hospitality, and La Araucanía is where the drink is most actively brewed and shared today.
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