food.wikisort.org - Beverage

Amasi (in Zulu and Xhosa), maas (in Afrikaans), or mafi (in Sesotho), is a fermented milk product that is similar to cottage cheese or plain yogurt. It is a popular snack in South Africa and Lesotho.

Amasi

Amasi in a supermarket fridge
Nutritional value per 100g
Carbohydrates	5 g
Sugars	0 g
Dietary fiber	0 g
Fat	4.4 g
Saturated	2.7 g
Protein	3.7 g
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Sodium	3% 47 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Cholesterol	9 mg
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/6001391000239/amasi

Preparation

Amasi is traditionally prepared by storing unpasteurised cow's milk in a calabash container (Xhosa: iselwa Zulu: igula) or hide sack to allow it to ferment.[1] The fermenting milk develops a watery substance called umlaza; the remainder is amasi. This thick liquid^{[clarification needed]} is mostly poured over mealie meal porridge called pap. (Xhosa: umphokoqo),[2] It is traditionally served in a clay pot (Zulu: ukhamba) and eaten with wooden spoons, but it can also be drunk. I.[1] Amasi is also produced commercially using Lactococcus lactis, along with subspecies of L. lactis.^{[citation needed]}

In culture

Zulu

Traditionally, Zulus believe that amasi makes a man strong, healthy, and desired. During "taboos", such as periods during menstruation or when a person has been in contact with death, the affected person must abstain from amasi. Milk is hardly ever drunk fresh, but it is sometimes used to thin amasi which is deemed too thick to be used.[3]

South Africa

Nelson Mandela mentions how he cautiously left a friends's apartment (his hiding place in a "white" area when he was wanted by the apartheid government) after he overheard two Zulu workers comment that it was strange to see milk on the window sill (left out to ferment) because whites seldom drank amasi.[4]

Amasi is also popular in South African Indian cuisine where it is used similarly to curd.

Xhosa

In the Xhosa culture, a bride is served amasi and a piece of meat, which is called uTsiki, as a sign of being welcomed into her new family.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Mursik

References

External links

• Princess Magogo talks about amasi (sour milk)
• Study on nutritional benefits of amasi
• Review of the destruction of E. coli in amasi.

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