Nihamanchï is a beer brewed from

manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

(''

Manihot esculenta ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...

'') by indigenous peoples of South America. It is also known as nihamanci, nijimanche,Howell 49 or nijiamanchi, and is related to chicha. Jívaro women make it by chewing manioc tubers, placing them in large jars, and allowing them to ferment in their saliva. Nijimanche is nutrious, and adults drink 4–5 quarts a day. The same beverage is made by the Jivaro in Ecuador and Peru (the Shuara, Achuara, Aguaruna and Mayna people); they call it nijimanche. As Michael HarnerHarner, Michael J. (1984). ''The Jívaro, people of the sacred waterfalls''. Berkeley: University of California Press. . describes it: : The sweet manioc beer (nihamanci or nijiamanchi), is prepared by first peeling and washing the tubers in the stream near the garden. Then the water and manioc are brought to the house, where the tubers are cut up and put in a pot to boil. ... The manioc is then mashed and stirred to a soft consistency with the aid of a special wooden paddle. While the woman stirs the mash, she chews handfuls of tand spits them back into the pot, a process that may take half an hour or longer. : After the mash has been prepared, it is transferred to a beer storage jar and left to ferment. ... The resultant liquid tastes somewhat like a pleasingly alcoholic buttermilk and is most refreshing. The Jivaros consider it to be far superior to plain water, which they drink only in emergencies. The Tiriós and Erwarhoyanas, Indian tribes from northern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and Suriname, make a beverage called ''sakurá'' with the sweet variety of

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

Yagua people Yagua are an indigenous people in Colombia and northeastern Peru, numbering approximately 6,000. Currently, they live near the Amazon, Napo, Putumayo and Yavari rivers and their tributaries. As of 2005, some Yagua have migrated northward to ...

brew a similar beverage which they called ''masato.''

Notes

References

* Arnalot, José
''Lo que los Achuar me han enseñado.''
Quito: Abya-Yala, 1996. . * Howell, Edward
''Enzyme Nutrition: The Food Enzyme Concept.''
Avery Publishing Group, 1995. . {{Alcoholic beverages Alcoholic drinks Amylase induced fermentation Indigenous cuisine of the Americas Indigenous topics of the Amazon Brazilian alcoholic drinks Fermented drinks

See also

Notes

References