Thobwa

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A cup of thobwa in Champiti village, Malawi Cup of thobwa, Malawi.JPG
A cup of thobwa in Champiti village, Malawi
A person making thobwa in Champiti village, Malawi Making thobwa, Malawi.JPG
A person making thobwa in Champiti village, Malawi
A person drinking thobwa as a guest in Malawi Drinking thobwa, Malawi.JPG
A person drinking thobwa as a guest in Malawi

Thobwa is a Malawian and Zambian fermented drink [1] that has a milky appearance, a cereal taste and a grainy texture. [2] It is made from white maize and millet or sorghum [3] and is popular in all parts of the country. [4] The name thobwa means "sweet beer", [5] [ verification needed ] and although it is non-alcoholic it can be left for five days and it will turn to mowa or beer. [6] [ failed verification ]

Contents

Preparation

Thobwa is made by boiling water with m'gaiwa (whole grain white maize flour) until it makes phala (porridge). [7] More water is then added and brought to a rolling boil for about 15 minutes. [2] After this the mixture is left to cool until warm and at this point a handful of maŵele (millet flour) is added. [8] This mixture is now left in a mbiya (big clay pot) in a cool place for two days before being served as thobwa. [8]

Drinking and etiquette

Because thobwa is made using maize flour it has a cereal taste and is filling. [9] Many Malawians use this drink as energy for the day and it is sold everywhere out of recycled plastic bottles in the towns/cities, and from clay pots in the villages. [4] Thobwa can be found all year round, however it is mainly served in the hot months (September-November), and is particularly served to welcome guests visiting a compound. Huge quantities of thobwa are consumed at weddings as a celebratory drink. [6]

See also

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References

  1. Mvula, Peter; Kalindekafe, Meya; Kishindo, Paul; Berge, Erling; Njaya, Friday (2014). Towards Defragmenting the Management System of Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi. p. 68. ISBN   9783643903983 . Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "porkandgin.com".
  3. Mackenzie-Smith, Ken; Oxfam-Canada (1995). Kitchens of the World. p. 102. ISBN   9781896182346.
  4. 1 2 ""Thobwa" Malawi local soft drink". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03.
  5. Jimu, Ignasio Malizani (2012). Peri-Urban Land Transactions. p. 302. ISBN   9789956727599.
  6. 1 2 "Thobwa". www.travelmalawiguide.com. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  7. Banda, Nathan (19 June 2013). Moments That Shaped My Life. p. 92. ISBN   9781449798666 . Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Local Food - Drinks - The Travel Word". www.thetravelword.com. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  9. Gibson, Rosalind S.; Yeudall, Fiona; Drost, Nancy; Mtitimuni, Beatrice M.; Cullinan, Timothy R. (2003-11-01). "Experiences of a Community-Based Dietary Intervention to Enhance Micronutrient Adequacy of Diets Low in Animal Source Foods and High in Phytate: A Case Study in Rural Malawian Children". The Journal of Nutrition. 133 (11): 3992S–3999S. doi: 10.1093/jn/133.11.3992S . ISSN   0022-3166. PMID   14672301.