Pombe, Tembo, and M�w� (traditional beer and wine)

People in every part of the world have their traditional alcohol. Throughout Sub-Saharan Africa home-made beer and wine are very common, especially in small villages and rural areas. (The distinction between beer and wine is this: beer is brewed, i.e., it must be heated before fermentation; wine is fermented without heat�though the terms are sometimes used as if they are interchangable.) Traditional African beers are made from various kinds of millet, sorghum, corn (i.e., maize), or plantains. Some of the names of these traditional beers are: Pombe (Eastern Africa); Dolo, Burukutu, Pito, Shukutu, and Tchakpalo (Western Africa); Bouza (Egypt, Ethiopia); and Merisa (Sudan).

Wine, that is, Palm-wine, called Tembo or Tombo is made from the sap of various palm trees (usually the African Oil Palm or Coconut Palm), or sugar-cane juice. Once the sap or juice is obtained, it begins to ferment on its own. It must be consumed within a day or two before it becomes too sour. A sort of wine is also made from plantains.

The Congo Cookbook has no recipes for these traditional beverages. They are documented by Richard F. Burton, Samuel White Baker, and Herbert Ward.