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Banana beer is an
Banana beer is made from ripe (but not over-ripe)
Banana beer is an alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol that acts Alcohol (drug), as a drug and is produced by Ethanol fermentation, fermentat ...
made from fermentation
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
of mashed banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...
s. Sorghum
''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...
, millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets a ...
or maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...
flour are added as a source of wild yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
.
Etymology
InUganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
, banana beer is known as ''mubisi'', in DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
as Kasiksi, in Kenya
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, capital = Nairobi
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as ''urwaga'', and in Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
and Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Gr ...
as ''urwagwa''.
Background
Banana beer is sometimes consumed during rituals and ceremonies. A similar product called '' mwenge bigere'' is made in Uganda with only bananas and sorghum.Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods, 2nd edition 1995 It can also be found under the names ''kasiksi'', ''nokrars'', ''rwabitoke'', ''urwedensiya'', ''urwarimu'' and ''milinda kaki''.Production
Banana beer is made from ripe (but not over-ripe) East African Highland bananas
Matoke, locally also known as matooke, amatooke in Buganda (Central Uganda), ekitookye in southwestern Uganda, ekitooke in western Uganda, kamatore in Lugisu ( Eastern Uganda), ebitooke in northwestern Tanzania, igitoki in Rwanda, Burundi an ...
(''Musa acuminata'' Colla (AAA-EA), ''Mbidde'' clone set). To accelerate the ripening of bananas, a hole is dug in the ground, lined with dried banana leaves which are then set on fire. Fresh banana leaves are laid on top of them, and then the unripe bananas. These are then covered by more fresh banana leaves and pseudostems. After four to six days, the bananas are ripe enough. This method only works in the dry season. During the rainy season, bananas are ripened by putting them on a hurdle near a cooking fire. Appropedia:Banana beer (Practical Action Brief)
There are two types of banana that are used for banana beer: the harsh tasting ''igikashi'' and the milder tasting ''igisahira''. The banana beer mixture consists of one third ''igikashi'' and two thirds ''igisahira''. Once ripened, the bananas are peeled. If they cannot be peeled by hand, they are not ripe enough. After peeling, the bananas are kneaded until soft. The juice is then filtered to get clear banana juice, which is then diluted with water. Sorghum
''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...
is ground and lightly roasted and then added to the juice. This mixture is left to ferment for 24 hours and then filtered.
After filtering, the beer is packaged in glass or plastic bottles. In commercial production, the beer may first be pasteurized
Pasteurization American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mi ...
before packaging to stop fermentation and extend shelf life.
Varieties
InTanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
there is a banana beer called mbege
220px, alt=Mbege being poured, ''Mbege'', a traditional chagga brew
Mbege is a kind of banana beer traditional to the Chagga ethnic group of Tanzania located in ''Kilimanjaro'' region. It is an alcoholic drink made from fermented bananas. The ...
, still brewed in a traditional way.
Commercial brands include:
* Mongozo Banana Beer
* Raha
* Agashya
See also
*Banana wine
Banana wine is a fruit wine made exclusively from bananas.
It is different from banana beer, which has a long tradition and great cultural significance in East Africa. Blocker et al. (2001) wrote a chapter on "Banana Wine" in the book ''Alcohol ...
: another product which can be retrieved from banana
References
{{Beer styles Beer in Africa Burundian cuisine Drugs in Burundi Kenyan cuisine Rwandan cuisine Tanzanian cuisine Ugandan cuisine Drugs in Rwanda Types of beer Banana drinks