Umqombothi

Umqombothi in an open fermentation vessel

Umqombothi served in the traditional Zulu clay pot Ukhamba in Cape Town .

Umqombothi ([um̩k͡ǃomboːtʰi]) is a traditional type of beer of the Xhosa , which among other things plays an important role in the boys' initiation Ulwaluko . It has been included in the Ark of Taste by Slow Food International and is the 4,000th Ark passenger overall.

Umqombothi is brewed with corn flour , sorghum malt and water and usually has an alcohol content of three percent by volume. The light brown beer has a creamy consistency due to the corn content; the taste is aromatic and sour. A tubular sieve woven from grass, known as intluzo , is traditionally used to purify the fermented mash . Under the brand name Chibuku Shake Shake , this type of beer is brewed and sold by SABMiller breweries in eight South African countries.

A colonial and derogatory term used by the white population in southern Africa for traditional beer made from grain is " kaffern beer ", English kaffir beer , made from " kaffir grain " (sorghum).

literature

Intluzo variants as museum objects

• Slow Food Magazin, Issue 2, 2017, p. 84

Web links

• The Umqombothi beer, brewed according to centuries-old traditions, becomes the passenger of the Ark of Taste on slowfood.com
• http://www.beerhouse.co.za/2014/10/30/umqombothi-africas-original-sorghum-beer/

Individual evidence

1. ↑ https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/umqombothi-beer/
2. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from May 4, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.