Amasi (in
Zulu and
Xhosa), maas (in
Afrikaans), or mafi (in
Sesotho), is a
fermented milk product that is similar to
cottage cheese or
plain yogurt. It is a popular snack in
South Africa and
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
.
Preparation
Amasi is traditionally prepared by storing
unpasteurised cow's milk in a
calabash container ( ) or hide sack to allow it to ferment.
The fermenting milk develops a watery substance called ''umlaza''; the remainder is amasi. This thick liquid is mostly poured over
mealie meal
Mielie meal, also known as mealie meal or maize meal, is a relatively coarse flour (much coarser than Cornmeal, cornflour or cornstarch) made from maize or mealies in Southern Africa, from the Portuguese language, Portuguese ''milho''. It is al ...
porridge called
pap. (), It is traditionally served in a clay pot () and eaten with wooden spoons, but it can also be drunk. I.
Amasi is also produced commercially using ''
Lactococcus lactis'', along with subspecies of L. lactis.
In culture
Zulu
Traditionally,
Zulus believe that amasi makes a man strong, healthy, and desired. During "taboos", such as periods during menstruation or when a person has been in contact with death, the affected person must abstain from amasi. Milk is hardly ever drunk fresh, but it is sometimes used to thin amasi which is deemed too thick to be used.
South Africa
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
mentions how he cautiously left a friends's apartment (his hiding place in a "white" area when he was wanted by the
apartheid government) after he overheard two Zulu workers comment that it was strange to see milk on the window sill (left out to ferment) because whites seldom drank amasi.
Amasi is also popular in
South African Indian cuisine where it is used similarly to
curd.
Xhosa
In the
Xhosa culture, a bride is served amasi and a piece of meat, which is called ''uTsiki'', as a sign of being welcomed into her new family.
See also
*
Mursik
References
External links
Princess Magogo talks about amasi (sour milk)Study on nutritional benefits of amasiReview of the destruction of ''E. coli'' in amasi.
South African cuisine
Fermented drinks
Milk-based drinks
Fermented dairy products
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