Mbege!

Thirsty? Hungry? Mbege's got you covered for both!

Yesterday in the late afternoon, after writing the last entry, Deo and I headed out for a walk just to get some exercise. After watching it rain all day, we decided to head out at 4pm under cloudy skies, umbrellas in hand. We were going to walk up Lema road to the Kibosho area, a slightly uphill climb. The road was muddy after all the rains, but we were glad to get out and I was glad to see a bit of the countryside around town. There wasn’t much except fields and the odd house, along with two very small conglomerations of run-down shack-like shops.

After walking a good hour and 15 minutes, somewhere around 6 kilometres or so, we decided to turn around, but not before stopping for a little refreshment at a café/bar. As we walked through the little village centre, all eyes were on us, since not too many outsiders make it up that way. Still, everyone was friendly. Deo had his beer and I had my Fanta.

After looking through the grill at the various other alcohols on offer, we got talking about mbege, what everyone simply explains as “the local brew.” Basically, it’s homemade moonshine made from fermented bananas and millet. You don’t find it in bottles or anything. You go to a bar and have to ask for it, and it comes in either a 1-litre or 2-litre cup. The alcohol content can be anywhere from 5 to 10 percent, depending on the batch.

Just to show me, Deo decided to order the “small cup.” Although it definitely smells like alcohol, it doesn’t look at all appealing. Think light mud water with sawdust mixed in. Why anyone would want to drink it with all those millet particles about is beyond me. Deo says it’s a drink and a meal all in one. Price may be the reason though; at 15 cents for the 1-litre cup, it’s about 15 times cheaper than bottled beer. A bargain, but you never know where the water used came from, and people getting disease after drinking it is not unheard of. Thanks but no thanks, even if I could drink!