Umqombothi

Umqombothi, from the Xhosa language, is a beer made from maize (corn), maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. It is commonly found in South Africa. It is very rich in Vitamin B. The beer has a heavy and distinctly sour aroma. The beer does not have a very high alcohol content, usually less than 3%. In appearance, the beer is opaque and light tan in colour. It has a thick, creamy and gritty consistency (from the maize).

It is referred to in the song of the same name sung by Yvonne Chaka Chaka. The lyrics of the song call it a "magic African beer." The song is heard in the opening of "Hotel Rwanda".

Umqombothi is considerably less expensive than traditional "clear" beer, that is, beer brewed from barley.

Traditional Method of Preparation

Umqombothi is brewed in a traditional manner. The recipe is often passed down through the generations. The beer is traditionally prepared outside the home, that is, not using the stove inside the home. It is also then allowed to cool outside the home, not using the fridge inside the home.

The ingredients used are: equal measures of mealie meal (corn meal), crushed mealie malt (corn malt) and crushed sorghum malt. The mealie malt provides a lighter-toned beer with a mellower flavour. The sorghum malt provides a darker beer.

The ingredients are mixed in a cast-iron pot, known as a potjie in South Africa. Four measures of warm water are added. The mixture is left overnight. The mixture starts fermenting and bubbles appear. A sour odour can be detected.

A small portion of the corn-flavoured water is removed and put to one side. The remaining mixture is then cooked until a crusty sediment forms. This product is known as isidudu and can be eaten as a porridge. When making beer, the isidudu is left to cool for a day.

After the mixture has cooled, it is poured into a large plastic vat. The liquid that was set aside is added to the vat. A handful of sorghum malt and a handful of mealie malt is added to the vat. The brew is stirred with a traditional stirring spoon called an ipini. The vat is covered with a lid and blanket (to retain heat). The vat is put in a warm place overnight, to encourage fermentation.

The traditional method of testing to see if the brew is ready is to light a match close to the vat. If the match blows out quickly, the brew is ready. If the match remains lit, the brew is not ready. This is because the fermenting mixture is producing large amounts of carbon dioxide, which does not allow for combustion of the match.

When the brew is ready, the mixture is filtered through a large metal strainer, to collect the excess corn. The sediment at the bottom of the vat is known as intshela. The intshela is added to the filtered beer, to give extra flavour.

The corn solids, collected from filtering, are squeezed out. This corn is usually cast onto the ground for chickens. The brewer of the beer traditionally gives thanks to the ancestors while casting the corn.

Once the beer has been strained, it is poured into a large communal drum known as a gogogo. It is ready for sharing with friends and family. When guests arrive at the brewer's home to taste the beer and join in the celebration, they traditionally bring a bottle of brandy, as a symbol of gratitude.

Traditional Uses

Umqombothi is used to celebrate the home-coming of young men in Xhosa culture, after initiation and ritual circumcision. The young men are known as abakwetha.The beer is also important when someone is intending to contact their ancestors (known as amahlozi). It is often used during customary weddings, funerals, and imbizos.

Health Concerns

A recent study [ [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tandf/tfac/2002/00000019/00000001/art00008?crawler=true IngentaConnect Mycotoxins in South African traditionally brewed beers ] ] found that sorghum and maize, used as ingredients in umqombothi, often are contaminated by mycotoxin-producing moulds. The finished beer is thus often also contaminated with bacteria and fungi (yeasts and moulds).

Grain samples were found to be infected with "Aspergillus" spp., "Penicillium" spp., "Rhizopus" spp. and "Mucor" spp. Forty-five percent of home-brewed beers showed the mycotoxins zearalenone and/or ochratoxin A.

The Transkei region of South Africa has a very high incidence of oesophageal cancer. [ [http://www.livewire.co.za/features/tcancer.html @Livewire - Throat Cancer ] ] Research by the Medical Research Council in South Africa has suggested that a toxin-producing fungus in homegrown maize could be linked to the high incidence of this cancer.

ee also

Related beverages

References

External links

* Haw, Greason. Getting to grips with the gogogo. [http://www.dispatch.co.za/1999/07/31/features/ROMANS1.HTM] Accessed 31 October 2007
* Umqombothi music video by Yvonna Chaka Chaka. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4NHvaV78dI] Accessed 31 October 2007