For those looking to taste out of the box, chicha—a fermented beverage from Latin America—may not be the obvious choice. The drink encounters some resistance, largely due to the fermentation process associated with it, which involves chewing starch-rich ingredients—such as corn and yuca—before spitting them into a container to ferment. However, a deeper understanding of the science behind this method—and how the recipe for chicha de jora differs due to its malting process—might pique your interest. Besides, the resulting flavor is well worth it.
Infused with centuries of indigenous wisdom, this ancient beverage holds deep cultural and historical importance, with its roots stretching across Latin America. The word chicha is believed to originate from the Mesoamerican Nahuatl word chichiatl, meaning “fermented water.” As Benjamin Dangl describes in The Abusable Past, chicha symbolizes Andean hospitality and reciprocity, connecting communities through shared rituals, celebrations, and networks of solidarity.
It was, and still is, central to cultural and ceremonial life in the Andes. This fermented corn beverage was even integral to the Incan Empire, its religious rituals, agricultural, and political life. In the 16th-century An Inca Account of the Conquest of Peru, Titu Cusi Yupanqui recounted that chicha played a crucial role during the first encounter between the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and the Inca ruler Atahualpa Yupanqui in 1532. By spilling the traditional drink offered, Pizarro managed to cause grave offence. This act symbolized the disregard the Spanish had for Inca culture. It also set the stage for the violent conquest that followed, as it represented not just the clash of civilizations but also the subjugation and erasure of indigenous practices and values. Even today, chicha plays an integral part in festivals and celebrations, and in the Amazon—where chicha is more commonly made using yuca—everything revolves around chicha.
This recipe comes from the kitchen of Tatiana Rodríguez, founder of La Chichería, a restaurant in Cuenca (southern Ecuador) that combines ancestral Ecuadorian culinary wisdom with a mindful, politically aware approach to food. To access the recipe for Chicha de Jora, continue reading the article ‘Chicha de Jora: A Fermented Drink Steeped in Inca Tradition, Indigenous Knowledge, and Andean Defiance’ available in the September – October 2024 52nd issue Fairy Tales and Folklore from Around the World in Ancient Origins Magazine. Get it here!
Feature image: Chicha de jora. Source: Courtesy of Tatiana Rodríguez