Entree: South Africa – Xhosa Cuisine – Umqombothi (Traditional Xhosa fermented sorghum and maize beer, a thick sour communal beverage and staple)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 48 hrs

Total 48 hrs 25 min

Ingredients

- 3 cups (360 g) coarse maize meal (white or yellow)
- 1 cup (120 g) sorghum maltmeal (malted sorghum, crushed)
- 10 cups (2.4 L) water, divided
- 1 tsp (3 g) active dry yeast (optional for faster fermentation)
- 2 tbsp (25 g) brown sugar (optional to jump-start fermentation)
- Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups (960 ml) of the water to a boil. Gradually whisk in the maize meal to make a thick porridge, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook 8–12 minutes until thick and cooked through, then remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
2. In a large, clean fermenting vessel, combine the sorghum maltmeal with the remaining 6 cups (1.44 L) of water, stirring to dissolve. Add the cooled maize porridge to the sorghum mixture and stir until homogeneous.
3. If using, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in a little warm water and stir into the mixture. Cover the vessel with a clean cloth and leave at room temperature to ferment for 2–4 days, stirring once a day. Fermentation is ready when the mixture is bubbly and has a pleasantly sour aroma.
4. Umqombothi is traditionally unfiltered and served thick; give it a good stir and ladle into cups or a communal bowl. Chill if desired and consume within a few days or keep refrigerated to slow further fermentation.