Malamba (drink)

Malamba
TypeFermented beverage
Region or stateCentral Africa
Main ingredientsSugarcane juice

Malamba is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon made by fermenting sugarcane juice. The canes are crushed in a mortar, and the juice is left to ferment for approximately two weeks.[1] The flavor and texture is similar to the Latin American drink guarapo. To accelerate the process of fermentation, bark from the Garcinia kola (bitter kola in English, known as essoc or onaé in Cameroon)[2] can be added to the juice.[3] Corn is also sometimes added during the fermentation process to increase the alcohol content. In Gabon, the drink is also known as musungu or vin de canne (cane wine) in French.[4]

  1. ^ Bokesa, Ciríaco (1987). Voces de espumas (in Spanish). Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano. ISBN 978-84-398-9331-8.
  2. ^ Tekam, François (2016-01-07). "Cameroun : le marché prospère des liqueurs traditionnelles". Pressenza (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  3. ^ Lepengue, Alexis Nicaise; Mokea-Niaty, Aurélien; Ikabanga, Davy U.; Lingombe, Roland; Ontod, Dhert Souviens Tshi-Tshi; Nzengue, Ephrem; Mombo, Stéphane; Yala, Jean Fabrice; Souza, Alain; Mbatchi, Bertrand (2020-06-19). "Effet de Garcinia kola (Clusiaceae) dans les processus de fermentation du vin de canne à sucre (Saccharum officinarum; Poaceae) au Gabon". International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences. 14 (3): 1074–1084. doi:10.4314/ijbcs.v14i3.33. ISSN 1997-342X. S2CID 225726189.
  4. ^ Lemps, Alain Huetz de (2001). Boissons et civilisations en Afrique (in French). Presses Univ de Bordeaux. ISBN 978-2-86781-282-8.