🇧🇯 Beninese Cuisine

Tchoukoutou

Sorghum Beer

Prep Time 3 days fermentation
Servings 10
Difficulty Hard
Calories 132 kcal

A traditional fermented sorghum beer with a slightly sour, yeasty flavor and a cloudy, amber appearance. Brewed by women in northern Benin, it is both a daily drink and a ceremonial beverage.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Soak sorghum grain in water for 24 hours, drain and spread to sprout for 2 days.
  2. 2 Dry the sprouted grain in the sun, then grind coarsely.
  3. 3 Boil ground malt in large quantity of water for 4-5 hours.
  4. 4 Strain through a basket sieve and cool the liquid.
  5. 5 Add yeast starter and ferment for 24-48 hours in large clay pots until bubbly and sour.

Did You Know?

Tchoukoutou brewing is exclusively women's work in northern Benin, and successful brewers hold high social status in their communities.