Chicha de Jora — The Sacred Corn Beer
A sweet-sour beer made from germinated then fermented corn, slightly sparkling, golden. The quintessential ritual drink of Tawantinsuyu, present from fields to temples.
A sweet-sour beer made from germinated then fermented corn, slightly sparkling, golden. The quintessential ritual drink of Tawantinsuyu, present from fields to temples.
Never raise your first sip to your lips without offering a drop to the Earth and to the Sun my father: thus do the men of Tawantinsuyu. The *aqllakuna*, my chosen women, germinate the corn, grind it, then let it work in great jars until it sings. They pour it for me into a *qero* of gold, and we drink together, host and guest, each his own vessel, for sharing *chicha* seals an alliance. Sweet and lively at once, it cheers feasts and appeases the gods.
- •Jora corn (germinated corn) — a full basket (fermentable base)
- •Spring water — as needed for the jar (infusion)
- •Molle (pepper-tree berries) — a handful, sometimes (sweetness and fermentation)
Chicha de Jora — The Sacred Corn Beer
A sweet-sour beer made from germinated then fermented corn, slightly sparkling, golden. The quintessential ritual drink of Tawantinsuyu, present from fields to temples.
Why this dish? No banquet or offering to the Sun was conceivable without *chicha*. Atahualpa, son of Inti, poured it on the earth for the gods and drank it from gold and silver vessels (*qero*), served by the chosen women (*aqllakuna*) who brewed it. The drink of power, the sacred, and celebration.
Never raise your first sip to your lips without offering a drop to the Earth and to the Sun my father: thus do the men of Tawantinsuyu. The *aqllakuna*, my chosen women, germinate the corn, grind it, then let it work in great jars until it sings. They pour it for me into a *qero* of gold, and we drink together, host and guest, each his own vessel, for sharing *chicha* seals an alliance. Sweet and lively at once, it cheers feasts and appeases the gods.
Ingredients (period version)
- Jora corn (germinated corn) — a full basket (fermentable base)
- Spring water — as needed for the jar (infusion)
- Molle (pepper-tree berries) — a handful, sometimes (sweetness and fermentation)
Ingredients
- Jora corn (Peruvian grocery stores) — 500 g (fermentable base)
- Water — 3 liters (infusion)
- Chancaca / whole cane sugar (modern option to boost fermentation) — 100 g (sweetness (not period, optional))
Method
- Rinse the *jora* corn and simmer in water for 1-2 hours, skimming, until a fragrant wort is obtained.
- Strain the golden liquid and let it cool.
- Pour into an earthenware or glass container covered with a cloth, let ferment 2-4 days at room temperature: it becomes tangy and slightly sparkling.
- Taste daily and stop fermentation in the refrigerator when the acidity pleases you.
- Serve chilled. (Non-alcoholic version: stop after the first day, before fermentation rises.)
How it was made : *Chicha de jora* is made from germinated corn (*jora*), whose starch turns into fermentable sugars. Chroniclers describe the *aqllakuna*, 'chosen women', dedicated to its brewing for temples and the court. The ritual sharing of two *qero* sealed Inca political alliances — a gesture of diplomacy as much as festivity.
The contemporary twist : Served well chilled in a black ceramic cup with a zest of *molle*, as 'Andean kombucha': the doyenne of fermented drinks of the Americas finds new youth.
Sources : Garcilaso de la Vega, Comentarios Reales de los Incas (1609) · Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno (ca. 1615)
Atahualpa · Charactorium
