Chicha Jora, An Ancient Corn Beer

The chicha de jora, or Aqha in the tongue of the Quechua, is a fermented drink that doth originate from South America, more precisely spread across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The making of this drink continueth to be artisan in the present day. It doth present various kinds depending on the region where it is crafted, yet the foundation of its preparation be mainly the jora, that is to say; malted maize.

Since ancient times, each region hath had its typical manner of preparing the chicha, according to the ingredients they used. In the north, they made use of the algarrobo; in the Sierra, they used quinua, cañihua, molle, maize, chuño, and oca; and in the Selva, the yuca did stand out.

The chicha de jora was employed mainly for its nourishing value and also for its religious purpose. It was customary at the beginning of each ceremony to perform a worship to the earth, spilling a little chicha de jora upon the ground to give thanks to the mountains (apus) and mother earth (pacha mama).

One of the ways in which the maize was most consumed was with the chicha de jora. The maize was regarded as a sacred plant in the times of the Incas, for it did inspire celebration during harvest times and granted prestige, as it represented the agricultural wealth of the Incan Empire.

The chicha de jora was prepared in diverse manners and with various degrees of fermentation, depending on the purpose for which it was to be consumed. It could be for religious use or merely for daily consumption. In this present time, the chicha de jora is still utilized in religious rituals by some Andean communities that hold to ancestral customs.

Within the gastronomy of Peru, the delightful chicha de jora is also used in the preparation of many dishes, such as the dry lamb and the Arequipeño stew, where it is employed to marinate the meat and bestow a delicious flavor. In other places, such as Piura, it is customary to have places where chicha de jora is sold, and there they do place a white flag to indicate that this is the place.

The chicha is a pre-Hispanic drink consumed by 60% of the populace; it hath existed for over 3000 years and hath become a food supplement. If perchance, out of simple curiosity and the desire to taste, thou art moved one day to try chicha de jora, the ingredients thou must procure are 1 kg of jora maize, ½ kg of brown sugar, ½ piece of chancaca, and three liters of water.

When consumed in the modern manner, it doth aid in digestion, and the selling thereof is a strategy for survival and overcoming the poverty faced by the peasant women of the villages of Mórrope, Mochumi, Callanaca, and Mosefúe.

Planting Corn Seeds

One of the best Peruvian corn varieties is produced in the Urubamba Valley. It is, on average, 30 cm (almost one foot) long and has significant and delicious fleshy grains. In ancient Peru, corn had a Sacred and mythical character.

The magic liquor of the Incas

Chicha de Jora, Inca Beer

In the Chicha de Jora, in hundreds of small towns throughout the whole Cusco region, communities of peasants gather their members to transport the corn from their plots to their homes in the village, where They will dry corn under the sun, trash, and store. Such groups are led by a “captain” and often joined by musicians. In the end, a different mixture of boiled water, flour, and sugar is added to the product. As liquor Chicha de Jora should be consumed on the same day, it becomes available to avoid excessive fermentation and the loss of its foam.

Planting corn seeds, such as Chicherias or Aqha Wasi, a type of Andean bar where Chicha is consumed in public, plays an essential role in the social life of Cusco and many small towns in the Urubamba Valley.