Chicha (chee-cha)

by hughpierre

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Chicherias

The drink is simple, light and smells and tastes like corn with a storehouse funk.

Home-based places are scattered throughout to produce and consume chicha away from the state's noisiness.

Uchucuta

Tradition / Ritual | Feb 13, 2024

Manufacturing process

Brewing Procedures

Grind the corn kernels into a fine powder.
Chew the ground maize and split into a separate container.
Form small balls with the moistened maize and flatten them into discs.
Lay out the discs to dry in a well-ventilated area.
Allow the discs to dry completely until they are hard and brittle. (called Muko)
Once dried, grind the discs into a powder again.
Mix the powdered maize with water in a container, using the desired ratio of maize to water.
- Optionally, add quinoa or other additives you think would be tasty to give the chicha consistency before boiling.
Add boiling water to the stirred mixture and let stand until cool.
- Ladle out the top layer of liquid (called Upi) and set aside.
- Next, scoop out the jelly-like middle layer (called Misqui Kketa) and cook until it turns a caramel-like colour.
- While this is cooking, strain the fermented liquid through a cloth or sieve to separate the chicha from any remaining solids.
- Add this liquid to the Upi and boil for an hour.
- Once the Misqui Kketa turns to the caramel colour, add it to the boiling liquid
Let the mixture sit for about a week, allowing fermentation to occur naturally.
- Aid the fermentation process by adding chancaca, a hard sweet.

Please chew responsibility.

Significance

Identity

Chicha is not a homogenized drink. There are unique variations native to every region and group. Though corn is the most preferred by the state, chicha made from such alternatives as manioc, kañiwa, peanuts, wild fruits, cacti, quinoa, palm fruits, oca, chañar and potatoes are also accepted as taxes.

Drinkers are constantly tweaking and experimenting with the recipe.

Ceremonies

The cloudy yellow liquid carries a vaguely tangy flavour and is generally drunk in large cups as a form of communion with the gods. It is also a political tool, meant as a gesture of goodwill to open negotiations.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Current Location

Ca-Chisneu

Manufacturer

Celestial Bureaucracy

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