Umqombothi
Encyclopedia
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.
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 iphini. 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.
-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. 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.
'Chibuku' and 'Munkoyo' or 'Ibwatu' in Zambia,
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
, is a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
made from maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
(corn), maize malt, sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
malt, yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
and water. It is commonly found in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. 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
Umqombothi (song)
"Umqombothi" is a song by South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka.Umqombothi, in Xhosa, is a beer commonly found in South Africa made from maize, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water....
sung by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a South African singer.Dubbed the "Princess of Africa", Chaka Chaka has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 20 years...
. The lyrics of the song call it a "magic African beer." The song is heard in the opening of Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 American drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay written by both George and Keir Pearson. Based on real life events which took place in Rwanda during the spring of 1994, the film stars Don Cheadle as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who attempts to...
.
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
Isidudu
Isidudu is a pap dish made to simmer with pumpkin, curried cabbage and liver. An alternative recipe for stewed potatoes also exists. Enjoyed with milk or amazi ....
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 iphini. 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 amadlozi). It is often used during customary weddings, funerals, and imbizos.Health Concerns
A recent study found that sorghum and maize, used as ingredients in umqombothi, often are contaminated by mycotoxinMycotoxin
A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, commonly known as molds. The term ‘mycotoxin’ is usually reserved for the toxic chemical products produced by fungi that readily colonize crops...
-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
Zearalenone
Zearalenone , also known as RAL and F-2 mycotoxin, is a potent estrogenic metabolite produced by some Gibberella species.Several Fusarium species produce toxic substances of considerable concern to livestock and poultry producers: namely, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol ...
and/or ochratoxin A
Ochratoxin A
Ochratoxin A, a toxin produced by Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium verrucosum, is one of the most abundant food-contaminating mycotoxins in the world. Human exposure occurs mainly through consumption of improperly stored food products, particularly contaminated grain...
.
The Transkei region of South Africa has a very high incidence of oesophageal 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.
See also
Related beverages'Chibuku' and 'Munkoyo' or 'Ibwatu' in Zambia,
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