A cloudy sour drink fermented from millet or barley, thick and lightly alcoholic. It is an ancient Central Asian grain ferment predating Islam in the region and is still made in rural households.
It produces alcohol, which is licensed or restricted in most of the atlas’s readership, and the ferment relies on a culture carried forward in the household’s own vessels.
What goes into it
- millet, barley or maize
- sugar
- water
- a portion of a previous batch
How it is made
Grain is coarsely ground and boiled into a thick gruel, cooled, sweetened and inoculated with a little of the last batch. It ferments for two to four days into something between a drink and a porridge — thick enough to be spooned — and is drunk before it sours further.
How long it takes: two to four days
How it is eaten
Cold or at room temperature, by the cup, sometimes with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas.
History
An ancient Central Asian grain ferment predating Islam in the region, still made in rural households.
Frequently asked questions
What is Buza?
Buza is a fermented & pickled from Uzbekistan: cloudy sour drink fermented from millet or barley, thick and lightly alcoholic. An ancient Central Asian grain ferment predating Islam in the region, still made in rural households.
How is Buza made?
Grain is coarsely ground and boiled into a thick gruel, cooled, sweetened and inoculated with a little of the last batch. It ferments for two to four days into something between a drink and a porridge — thick enough to be spooned — and is drunk before it sours further. It takes two to four days.
Can I make Buza at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It produces alcohol, which is licensed or restricted in most of the atlas’s readership, and the ferment relies on a culture carried forward in the household’s own vessels.
What goes into Buza?
Millet, barley or maize, sugar, water, a portion of a previous batch.
How is Buza eaten?
Cold or at room temperature, by the cup, sometimes with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas.
