Rural Ugandan Brew

Credit: Jenny Z.

A moment from a late night in the summer of 2013, just outside (the unofficially but affectionately named) “Mzungu House”. A small hut mere yards away from the Busolwe hospital and temporary residence to two doctors-in-training from Aarhus.

Busolwe, a village near Mbale in Eastern Uganda, was my home for four months while I participated in an international learning exchange (primarily to support rural literacy initiatives and to learn from a community of local leaders who were passionate about instilling in youth a culture of reading and writing).

My colleague and I had been invited by our Danish friends to an evening of shared meals and stories, the latter not least a chance to debrief our most eventful days spent in Uganda. We rarely had a chance to connect with them, the only other foreigners who were staying in the remote village alongside us for many months. They worked long hours at the hospital, while our time was dedicated to the local library and schools, all spread out over a great distance.

On this weekend night, we emerged much later than anticipated. As we walked into the field and took in the fresh air, a group of locals sitting in a circle motioned to us. Each held a thin pipe with one end dipped into a large bucket on the ground. They asked us to join them as they drank from their lengthy wooden straws. So we found ourselves reveling outdoors, starlight replacing candlelight.

My colleague snapped the picture above, of me taking my first sip of the initially not-so-inviting concoction in the bucket. From what little I recall, it was not too bad! A type of alcohol made from maize and millet. A common drink enjoyed in casual gatherings but also one that holds importance in ceremony. It went by many names – Ajono, Malwa, Pombe; I do not now remember what the Lunyole-speaking group had called it.

The drink has many preparation methods, unique to the people who brew it and the geography of its origin. For those curious, you can read a common recipe here or watch this description of the brewing process.

A curious, unexpected, and pleasant occasion. Long past and, if I am ever to find myself in Eastern Africa again, long awaited.