Kasigsi
The Kasigsi or Kasiksi is a Alcoholic drink artisanal exit of the Fermentation of the bananas, very popular in country Bashi, a peule living with the South-Kivu, in Democratic republic of Congo.
In the areas close to the South-Kivu, there exist preparations almost similar to the kasigsi and which bear different names (see low).
Preparation
Fermentation is done in a timber sinking cylinder covered with sheets of banana trees. The juice to be fermented is obtained by brewing (or while pressing) ripe bananas using sheets of graminaceous (bukere) which often pushes on the mountainside. To prepare the juice, the brewer vigorously crushes bananas in the tank using his hands and of the sheets. Once all the crushed bananas, he adds a sufficient quantity of water to decrease the sugar content, in order to obtain an alcoholic strength ranging between 5 and 15% by volume. The brewer continues to stir up the contents of the tank, and, at the proper time, it presses the mixture of sheets and bananas to extract the juice from them. Sometimes, he sees himself obliged to add water with the residue in order to re-extract the juice still present of them.
A preparation of water and Millet or Sorghum germinated, slightly roasted and ground (called " Mulolo" or Mujimbi"), will be répendue with the top of the juice, then the whole will be covered with banana sheets and will be preserved in a room heated well during 3 days. They are the grains of germinated millet or sorghum which start fermentation thanks to the presence of Enzyme S ( saccharomyces cerevisae ) and of lactobacilles. According to the manufactoring process, the preparation titrates between 5 and 15% by volume of alcohol.
At the end of fermentation, the kasigsi is again filtered and must be consumed in the week.
According to the sugar content and of sorghum, one obtains kasigsi of first, second or the third quality. The first quality being reserved to the men and to the daring women. The kasigsi is often also called " wine of bananes".
Other denominations
-
Khaki Milinda
- Urukwegamano
- Urwagwa
- Urwarimu
- Uwendensiya
- Wine of bananas
Mixed with other products, it changes name, for example: Inturire when fermentation is made by adding honey.