A cassava beer made by Indigenous peoples of the Rio Negro and Amapá for ceremonies and communal work days. It is thick, sour and shared from a large vessel, and in the oldest practice the starch is broken down by chewing rather than by malt.
It is a ceremonial drink with a preparation specific to particular Indigenous communities, it involves alcohol production, and cassava must be detoxified correctly before any of it begins.
What goes into it
- cassava
- sometimes sweet potato for colour
- water
How it is made
Cassava is grated, pressed and cooked, then a portion is chewed and spat back into the mash — saliva supplies the enzyme that converts starch to sugar — or a sprouted-grain equivalent is used. The mash is left in a covered trough for several days while wild yeasts ferment it, and it is drunk cloudy and still working.
How long it takes: two to five days of fermentation
How it is eaten
From a communal bowl at festivals and collective work parties.
History
Made by Indigenous peoples of the Rio Negro and Amapá for ceremonies and communal work days.
Frequently asked questions
What is Caxiri?
Caxiri is a wine & spirit from Brazil: fermented cassava beer of Amazonian villages, drunk at festivals. Made by Indigenous peoples of the Rio Negro and Amapá for ceremonies and communal work days.
How is Caxiri made?
Cassava is grated, pressed and cooked, then a portion is chewed and spat back into the mash — saliva supplies the enzyme that converts starch to sugar — or a sprouted-grain equivalent is used. The mash is left in a covered trough for several days while wild yeasts ferment it, and it is drunk cloudy and still working. It takes two to five days of fermentation.
Can I make Caxiri at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a ceremonial drink with a preparation specific to particular Indigenous communities, it involves alcohol production, and cassava must be detoxified correctly before any of it begins.
What goes into Caxiri?
Cassava, sometimes sweet potato for colour, water.
How is Caxiri eaten?
From a communal bowl at festivals and collective work parties.
