Umqombothi

Umqombothi(Xhosa pronunciation:[um̩k͡ǃomboːtʰi]), is aSouth Africantraditional type ofbeermade frommaize(corn), maizemalt,sorghummalt,yeast, and water. The beer has a rather low content ofalcohol(usually less than 3%) but a high content ofB vitamins. It has a thick, creamy, and gritty consistency (from the maize), a heavy and distinctly sour aroma, and an opaque, buff-colored appearance.
Umqombothi is cheaper than commercial lager beers brewed frombarleyand flavoured withhopflowers.
Umqombothi is brewed following traditional customs, and these vary slightly between regions. The recipe is often passed down through generations. The beer is traditionally prepared over a fire outside of the house. It then passively cools to ambient temperatures outside the house.
The ingredients used are: equal measures of maize meal, crushed mealie malt (corn malt), and crushed sorghum malt. The maize malt provides a lighter-toned beer with a mellower flavour. The sorghum malt provides a darker beer.
The ingredients are mixed in acast-ironpot, known as apotjieinSouth Africa. Four measures of warm water are added. The mixture is left overnight. The mixture startsfermenting, and bubbles appear. A sour odour can be detected.
A small portion of the wort is removed and put to one side. The remaining mash is cooked until a crusty sediment forms. This product is known asisiduduand can be eaten as aporridge. When beer is made, the isidudu is left to cool for a day.
After the mixture has cooled, it is poured into a large plastic vat. The wort that was set aside is added to the vat. A handful of sorghum malt and a handful of maize malt is added to the vat. The brew is stirred with a traditional spoon called aniphini. The vat is covered with a lid and blanket (to retain heat). The vat is put in a warm place overnight to encourage fermentation.
To see if the brew is ready, the traditional testing method is to light amatchclose 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 mash produces large amounts ofcarbon dioxide, which does not allow for the combustion of the match.
When the brew is ready, the fermented mash is filtered through a large metal strainer to remove the spent grains. The sediment at the bottom of the vat is known asintshela. The intshela is added to the strained beer to give extra flavour.
The spent grains are squeezed out and are usually cast onto the ground forchickens. The brewer of the beer traditionally thanks 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 ofbrandyas a symbol of gratitude.
Umqombothi is used to celebrate the homecoming of young men, known asabakwethain Xhosa culture, afterulwaluko- initiation andreligious male circumcision.
This beer plays a significant role when someone contacts their ancestors, theamadlozi, and plays a central role in the social context, and so is often used during customary weddings, funerals, and imbizos (traditional meetings).
A studyfound sorghum and maize used as ingredients in umqombothi often are contaminated bymycotoxin-producing moldsAspergillusspp.,Penicilliumspp.,Rhizopusspp. andMucorspp.
Although the finished beer is not contaminated with the fungi, 33% of commercially brewed sorghum beer containedaflatoxinsand 45% of home-brewed beers containedzearalenoneorochratoxin A(or both) in the final product.
TheEastern Capeprovince of South Africa has a very high incidence ofesophageal cancer.Research by theSouth African Medical Research Councilsuggestsmycotoxinsin homegrown maize are linked to the high incidence of this cancer.
It is referred to in thesong of the same namesung byYvonne Chaka Chaka. The lyrics of the song call it a "magicAfrican beer."  The song is heard in the opening ofHotel Rwanda.