National Drink · Toasted Rice Water
Ranon'apango (Ranovola)
Photo: Hariniaina14 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The name says how it's made: apango is the Malagasy word for the scorched rice crust at the bottom of the pot, and rano means water.
After rice is cooked and served, the caramelized crust left in the pot is steeped in boiling water to make ranon'apango, a lightly smoky, tea-colored drink also called ranovola. It's poured free alongside nearly every home meal and at hotely roadside eateries across Madagascar, from breakfast to dinner.
Why it's made this way: Because rice is cooked in nearly every Malagasy household daily, this byproduct drink became the default table beverage nationwide and is widely regarded as the country's national drink.
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