Sorghum Beer · Ceremonial Drink
Umqombothi
Photo: SpesBona / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Umqombothi is usually brewed outdoors rather than in the kitchen, with the recipe passed down through generations of women and brewing customs varying from household to household.
A thick, low-alcohol beer brewed from maize and sorghum malt, water and yeast over four to five days, with a sour, slightly gritty character and an opaque buff colour. It's traditionally served warm from a communal clay pot (ukhamba) and shared hand to hand.
Why it's made this way: Associated above all with Xhosa and Zulu tradition, umqombothi is brewed for virtually every major life event — births, initiations, weddings, funerals and ceremonies honouring the ancestors.
More from South Africa
Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.