Gourde for banana beer - Rwanda 09.01.1670
Banana beer, known as urwagwa in Rwanda and Burundi, is made from ripe East African Highland bananas. To accelerate the ripening of bananas, a hole idugs 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 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. There are two types of banana that are used for banana beer: the harsh tasting igikashi and the milder tasting 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 is ground and lightly roasted and then added to the juice. This mixture is left to ferment for 24 hours and then filtered. (source: Wikipendia). When prepared with honey, the banana beer is especially appreciated
