this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 55 points 3 months ago (6 children)

What is the "other" in Africa? What they drinking over der

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

Never lived there for long, but VERY briefly lived in Gambia for work for a few months a while back. Most people didn't drink but most that did drank palm wine, which I'm assuming would be classified as "other" instead of "wine" here.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I'm trying to figure out what the other is anywhere. My America must be showing, but I can't think what other could be at all

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

I guess that would be other. In my head, that gets categorized as a type of beer.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

It depends on how they categorized things. People drink all sorts of fermented fruit and vegetable juices that could loosely be labeled "wine" or "cider". There's also a whole bunch of things that could also loosely be called "beer" like shake shake.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

Spent a year in the south/south east of Africa, and different variations of fermented maize beer were the most common alcoholic drink among locals.

Thobwa is the Malawian/Zambian version, while umqombothi is the South African one.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Possibly things that are actively fermenting like kumis, kefir, or kombucha

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 months ago (2 children)

How is moonshine not spirits?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I agree, moonshine should be spirits if its distilled. However, I saw a ..thing from Africa that was effectively a 3 foot long woven basket/funnel thing, you stuffed bananas in it and left it in the sun. the bananas would rot and ferment and what dripped out of the bottom/tip would be somewhat alcoholic from natural yeasts etc.

I wouldnt call that spirits, wine or beer.. dats some "other"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I think I will need to try this for scientific purposes so that I may contribute to this discussion.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I see you need more explicit proof. You'd be surprised what can be used to make alcohol and what is used in some drinks.

In rural Mopani district, Limpopo, a homemade alcoholic drink called lela mhana wena (say goodbye to your mother) is being sold. It consists of sorghum malt, water, sugar, ice cream, some battery acid and brake fluid.

Doesn't define as spirit for me.

I highly recommend you visit rural Africa. Eye-opening in many ways.

But don't drink this dirt-cheap poison!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Fascinating stuff.

"What was repeatedly echoed by the interviewees, is that it is by the grace of God that after consuming Lela Mhana Wena the person will survive".

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Learned a bit about "other" from a different coolguides post the other day.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I'm not sure about Africa specifically. These categories are vague enough that it's kinda hard to say with confidence.

I know fermented milk is popular in Mongolia and central Asia. There's also palm wine, from the sap of palm trees, rice wine like soju, mead and cider.