If you've ever come across an African post picturing a drunken man or woman lying helplessly in a gutter filled with dirt, it's likely he or she had drunk a local drink made from a fermented guinea corn. Africa is blessed with knowledge when it comes to making local drinks, and I'll be writing on just one known as Burukutu. I started drinking it when I was a child but gradually withdrew myself from it when I grew older because of its intoxicating power. Long before the introduction of alcoholic drinks, Burukutu was the major drink that served this purpose. Even though alcoholic drinks are available, most aged men still prefer this local drink- It's more like keeping tradition alive.
It's made from guinea corn. One soaks it for days until it starts to germinate then goes to grind it, sieve out the chaff and cook it in a big drum until it starts foaming. There's a sweet part of this drink known as Pito It was my favorite part of the drink. It comes before the main fermented one. The pito was mainly given to children because of its sweet taste and could entice one into drinking a gallon of it without realizing how much he had drunk. It's served with a small calabash.
The final product of the fermented guinea corn has no sweet taste but has strong intoxicating power. A gallon of it can cause one to lose balance, talk carelessly, and become . drinking it for long has an effect on the body just like alcohol. Some older people drink it with pepper soup while others prefer to sip it gently as they engage each other in a long discussion or debate.