Amasi

Amasi (so called in isiZulu and isiXhosa, and "maas" in Afrikaans) is the common word for fermented milk that tastes like cottage cheese or plain yogurt. It is very popular in South Africa, where it is also known as "inkomazi". Amasi is traditionally prepared by storing unpasteurised cow's milk in a calabash container ("igula" in isiZulu) or hide sack [ cite web|url=http://www.sedibafountain.org.za/pebble.asp?relid=1285&t=168&translated=true&Culture=IsiZulu |title=SA Culture – Ukdula |accessdate=2007-01-18 |publisher=National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa ] to allow it to ferment. The fermenting milk develops a watery substance called umlaza; the remainder is amasi. This thick liquid is mostly poured over the mealie meal (maize flour) porridge called pap, or drunk straight. It is traditionally served in a clay pot ("ukhamba" in isiZulu) and eaten with wooden spoons. [ cite web|url=http://www.sedibafountain.org.za/pebble.asp?relid=1285&t=168&translated=true&Culture=IsiZulu |title=SA Culture – Ukdula |accessdate=2007-01-18 |publisher=National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa ] Amasi is also produced commercially using "Lactococcus lactis" subsp "lactis" and "L. lactis" subsp "cremoris" and is pasteurised before distribution and consumption, with a shelf life of 21 days at 4°C. When produced as such, amasi may be an ideal vehicle for the delivery of probiotics. [ cite journal|title=The Use of Traditional African Fermented Beverages as Delivery Vehicles for Bifidobacterium lactis DSM 10140.|journal=Department of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Cape Peninsular University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Cape Peninsular University of Technology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Cape Town|date=2005-11-10|first=L.D.|last=McMaster|coauthors=S. A. Kokott, P. Slatter, S. J. Reid, V. R. Abratt|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://confer.uj.edu.pl/euprobio/prezentacje/prez6.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-01-18]

It is also popular with Indians who use it to make a cucumber salad served with biryani.

Amasi in South African culture

*Traditionally, Zulus believe that amasi makes a man strong, healthy and desired. During taboos (e.g. menstruation or when there has been contact with death) the affected person must abstain from amasi. Milk is hardly ever drunk fresh ('green milk'), but it is sometimes used to thin amasi which has gone too thick to be used. [ cite web|url=http://library.thinkquest.org/27209/Diet.htm |title=Diet [of the Zulu people] |accessdate=2007-01-18 |coauthors=Megan Russell, Tamlin Armstrong and Sarah Dawson |publisher=Thinkquest ]

*The Zulu expression "kwafa igula lamasi" translates to "the calabash of sour-milk broke", i.e. "our last hopes were dashed". [ cite journal|title=Gourds - Africa's Cornucopia|journal=The Magazine of the Durban Natural Science Museum|date=2001-09-01|first=Esmé|last=Hennessy|coauthors=Adrian Koopman|volume=4|issue=2|pages=20|id= |url=http://www.durban.gov.za/eThekwini/Tourism_and_Leisure/museums/nsm/pubs/palmnut_post_folder/pp/ppsep01|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-01-18]

*Nelson Mandela mentions how he cautiously left a comrade'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 do not drink amasi.

References

External links

* [http://sounds.bl.uk/View.aspx?item=025M-C0811X0010XX-1200V0.xml Princess Magogo talks about amasi (sour milk)]
* [http://www.douglasdale.co.za/products.asp Example nutritional information]