Emasi

Ingredients

Soured milk

• 2 litreswhole milk
• 4 tbsplive soured milk or plain yoghurt, as starter

To serve

• stiff maize porridge, hot
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Warm the milk to about 30°C (86°F) and stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
2. Pour into a calabash, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid, so the gas can escape.
3. Leave at warm room temperature for two to three days. It will separate into a thick white curd with a layer of clear whey beneath — that separation is what emasi is, and it is not a fault.
4. Pour or spoon off most of the whey, keeping enough to leave the curd loose rather than dry. Save the whey; it is drunk cold.
5. Stir the curd smooth and chill thoroughly.
6. Serve cold with hot maize porridge, spooning it over so it half melts into the meal, with a pinch of salt.
7. Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch — a calabash used continuously carries its own culture and needs no starter.

Technique

• Cover with cloth, never a sealed lid. The ferment produces gas and a sealed vessel builds pressure and forces the curd apart unevenly.
• The separation into curd and whey is correct. Do not try to prevent it by stirring — that just breaks the curd.
• Two to three days at Swazi temperatures. In a cool kitchen it may take four.

Substitutions

• Buttermilk as the starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt.
• Goat’s milk, which sours faster and comes out sharper.

Variations

• Thickened with cooked maize meal it becomes sitfubi.
• The Zulu amasi and Zimbabwean amasi are the same preparation.

History

Milk soured in a calabash until it separates into thick curd and whey, an Nguni staple eaten with porridge.

Frequently asked questions

What is Emasi?

Emasi is a cheese & dairy from Eswatini: soured milk, everyday accompaniment to porridge. Milk soured in a calabash until it separates into thick curd and whey, an Nguni staple eaten with porridge.

How long does Emasi take to make?

Emasi takes 10 min plus 2 to 3 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Emasi?

Yes, within limits. Buttermilk as the starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt. Goat’s milk, which sours faster and comes out sharper.

What is the most important thing to get right in Emasi?

Pour into a calabash, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid, so the gas can escape.