The Rwanda traditional sorghum beer “ikigage” has won favour over decades where entrepreneurs have resorted to re-branding it from gourds to cup sipping version to preserve its culture legacy.
The move to cup drinking follows government’ awareness over the concern of transmitting diseases including tuberculosis, while joint drinking through straws.
In order to improve the fermented beer and enable it linger in the new era of modernity Rwandans have moved from joint sipping of beer in a gourd using straws.
Ikigage has a history of being used in traditional gatherings and frequently on sale in rural markets and is an important micro-enterprise even for women who run brewing businesses.
Back in time the goal was a refreshing drink during the heat of day – not a high alcohol item compared to other local brews.
The seller could pour beer into a gourd, which the customer will drink with a straw that was generally made from a local reed.
Despite the concerns of health hazards from the practice such as some people still feel joint drinking remain an important component of both engagements and marriages.
John Baptist Ntakirutimana, a resident of Nyanza sector Kicukiro district says he still thinks jointly drinking from a straw preserves the culture of sharing among Rwandans.
The study was carried out to evaluate the potential use of predominant yeast strains and lactic acid bacteria of Rwandan traditional sorghum beer as starter cultures to improve the bee and produce ikigage beer having the uniform characteristics and a high ethanol content.
This method also reduces the risk of contamination of the brew with food sanitary indicator and pathogenic microorganisms and will increase the chance of preservation of ikigage beer.
Ikigage was widely taken during a culture ceremony to celebrate crop yields in Rwanda known as Umuganura translated as National Harvest Day in English.
The beer is highly consumed in rural areas unlike urban areas where its also highly preferred in occasions by old people who consider is it an important drink for a social celebration.
The local brew is mostly found in places including Musanze and Byumba
Fermented foods make up an important contribution to the human diet in many countries because fermentation is an inexpensive technology which preserves food, improves its nutritional value and enhances its sensory properties.
Fermentation has also the potential of enhancing food safety by controlling the growth and multiplication of a number of pathogens in foods. Its importance in modern-day life is underlined by the wide spectrum of fermented foods marketed both in developing and industrialized countries
Ikigage can be brewed as an alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage making it what Abraham Nibishaka the brewer deems friendly local beer for everyone including church celebrations and children.
“The beer was used as a nutritious drink in families when there was nothing to eat believing it contained the same vitamins that are found in the porridge “Igikoma” given to children as their first meal,” Nibishaka added.