How to make umqombothi

THIS recipe is aimed at inspiring you to learn food traditions from across the world while bringing your kitchen alchemy and culinary linguistics to the table. Alongside pineapple and ginger beer, umqombothi has an enhanced pungent taste, is high in Vitamin B and most often shared communally from a ceramic bowl, gourd or pot used for the fermentation process. Its tradition and magic have been celebrated in South African homes for years.

INGREDIENTS:

maize meal sorghum – King Korn Umthombo (the green packet) water brown sugar (optional)

METHOD:

1. Mix equal quantities of maize meal with umthombo. Make a paste using boiling water. Place in a container, preferably an ukhamba, a traditional clay pot, but a bucket, big jar or jug will suffice. Store the mixture in a dark corner or on the floor overnight, or for two to three days, depending on how hot it is.

2. When the mixture smells a little fermented, boil water in a pot and add the paste slowly while stirring continuously. Lower the heat as the mixture thickens. Let it simmer for about an hour. Once this is cooked it’s called idokwe and is delicious as a porridge with lots of sugar.

3. Cool idokwe. This might take a few hours. Once cooled, mix the idokwe with cold water and mush it with your hand until it’s a drinkable consistency. Umqombothi’s potency depends on the magic of your mixing hand. My left hand is my umqombothi mixing hand. My left side is my grancestor/feminine side – they are with me when I make umqombothi.

4. Once you’ve mixed the idokwe with cold water, add more umthombo to the mixture and mix with your hand. If you wish, add some brown sugar to help the fermentation process along. Again, place in a dark corner for about three days while it ferments.

5. Once fermented it smells slightly pungent and little bubbles pop on the surface. Strain the fermented mixture. The solid sorghum bits are called izinsipho. You might want to freeze a handful of izinsipho to use in a new batch of umqombothi (izinsipho help to ferment a batch quicker).

6. Pour a cupful of umqombothi as an offering, place in a sacred space in the home. This is for amaDlozi (spirit elders/ancestors/ spirit guides).

7. Enjoy the rest. Rules for umqombothi: It is considered rude to drink umqombothi while standing. Umqombothi is best enjoyed with others, preferably while sitting in a circle