How East Africans prepare their favorite banana beer

This is an East African staple. In Uganda and Rwanda, the thick, yellowish-brown liquid, with a strong alcohol flavour, has been a traditional drink for millions of people during occasions like weddings, cultural rituals, Christmas, among others.

It is produced on a large scale by local producers but now increasingly being mass marketed.

The basic process of making banana beer begins by leaving unpeeled bananas in a pit for some days to ripen.

One then takes the meat from the skin, after which it is kneaded, juiced, filtered, and diluted. Yeast is added in the form of sorghum, millet, or maize grains.

After this process of fermentation is done, the banana beer is ready.

Check out the brewing process courtesy gourmetsleuth.com.

Bananas

Peel ripe bananas by hand. Only use bananas ripe enough to be peeled by hand

Extract Juice

Use grass to knead the bananas until clear juice is extracted. The residue will remain in the grass.

Mix water

Mix 1:3 water: banana juice ratio.

Mix sorghum

Sorghum flour: banana juice ratio, 1:12. Stir the mixture well. Sorghum is added to improve the color and the flavor of the beer.

Ferment

Ferment in plastic containers covered by polyethene bags. Allow to ferment 18 -24 hours.

Filter

Force the liquid through a cotton cloth bag either by hand or use a press.

Bottle

Place in 1-litre size plastic bottles.

Shelf Life

Several days, refrigerated.