Chicha

Chicha is a beverage traditional to the Andean region of South America, most commonly made by fermenting maize, in a version known as chicha de jora, though other grains and fruits are also used in various regional forms. Its roots reach back to pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, including the Inca, who used chicha in both everyday social life and religious and political ceremony, and traditional preparation historically involved chewing the maize to help break down its starches for fermentation. Chicha remains an important traditional drink across Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador today, made and sold both in traditional rural settings and, in non-fermented sweet forms, more widely and commercially.