The wine farms must be smiling (all the way to the bank) at the moment! While in past years there’s been a global excess of wine in the market, this year’s poor production coupled with a growing demand for the tipple, means that there’s a serious shortage of plonk. But if you’re a traditional Zulu woman, skilled in the art of beer making, your family won’t have to go without – fortunately there’s no shortage of sorghum to make your beer with! While wine drinkers may consider themselves connoisseurs and turn their noses up at beer, this traditional alcoholic beverage is steeped in tradition in Zulu culture, with the preparation and drinking of it following fairly rigid guidelines.
So while the French may think that they have the market cornered, perhaps one day people’s tastes will broaden and we’ll see utshwala besiZulu being served at dinner tables (now that would be an interesting sight!).
Click here to read the fascinating Ulwazi article on how traditional Zulu beer is made, and what the correct way to serve it is.
Photo courtesy of Karen McDonald Photography