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Oshikundu or Ontaku is a traditional
The Owambo
Namibian cuisine Namibian drinks Namibian alcoholic drinks Fermented drinks Types of beer {{drink-stub
Oshikundu or Ontaku is a traditional Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
n drink made from fermented millet (mahangu
Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum''; also known as 'Bajra' in Hindi, 'Sajje' in Kannada, 'Kambu' in Tamil, 'Bajeer' in Kumaoni and 'Maiwa' in Hausa, 'Mexoeira' in Mozambique) is the most w ...
) flour, brans and malted sorghum flour mixed with lukewarm water. It is made from cereal. Ontaku has short life span and it has to be consumed within the same day, preferably within 6 hours once its ready. Ontaku is more common among ''Aawambo'' people and in some part of ''Kavango Region
Kavango (before 1998: Okavango) was one of the thirteen regions of Namibia until it was split into the Kavango East and Kavango West Regions in 2013. Its capital was Rundu.
In the north, Kavango bordered the Cuando Cubango Province of Angola, and ...
''. The knowledge of creating Ontaku has been passed orally from one generation to the other orally, hence existing through generations of Aawambo. It is widely sold in open markets and mostly associated with rural areas and northern Namibia. Oshikundu can be served with porrige also when there is nothing to eat with porrige with it aid in term of in need of beef or soup.
A study carried out in 2001 by the Department of Food Science at the University of Namibia revealed that it was possible to produce a dry mix containing malted pearl millet and sorghum, that would be nutritionally enhanced with bambara nut. This mix could then be sold for making oshikundu. There are researcher who have done extensive research about this specific drinks from the University Of Namibia, Embashu Werner is one of those researcher who have contributed much to the research of this tradional brew.
The combination is left to ferment for several hours at room temperature. Once Oshikundu is ready to drink it becomes brown with a thick texture. It is nutritious and has a short shelf life, it is usually a home-brewed drink and it is enjoyed every day.
See also
*Beer style
Beer styles differentiate and categorise beers by colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin.
The modern concept of beer styles is largely based on the work of writer Michael Jackson in his 1977 book ...
References
External links
The Owambo
Namibian cuisine Namibian drinks Namibian alcoholic drinks Fermented drinks Types of beer {{drink-stub