Mountain Spirit's Blog

How chicha is made

A local Cuscanian, Ernesto, explains how the fermented corn drink, Chicha is made, as guide Guillermo Seminario and the owner of a Chicha rest stop in the Sacred Valley look on.

Chicha is a traditional Andean corn beer that is shared during communal gatherings and festivals, and fosters a sense community. Chicha is most commonly made in small batches in the family kitchen.

Chicha is made from dried corn kernals, which have been soaked and allowed to ferment. They are then mashed and slow cooked in large a ceramic pot over a wood fire. The fermented kernals are sprouted,  water is added, then sugar and spices to taste, and the strained liquid is stored for two to four days which allows further fermentation.. Ummm!
Watch out though, it’s never done my stomach right, and it’s known to wreak havoc with locals’ digestion as well.
Want to learn how to make your own Chicha? Click here.

Tags: Chicha, Fermented Corn Drink, Guillermo Seminario, How to make chicha, Peru, Sacred Valley

This entry was posted on 30/08/2009 at 02:36 and is filed under Peru. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.