Central Africa · Drink
Kangoya (Fermented Sorghum and Millet Beer)
An opaque, effervescent, and tangy Central African low-alcohol brew made from sprouted red sorghum, pearl millet, and wild forest honey.
The story
Kangoya is traditionally brewed by the Gbaya and Sara communities in the northern savannas of the Central African Republic to fuel communal agricultural work groups and celebrate weddings. Women brewmasters oversee the multi-day malting and decoction mashing process, using clay hearths to achieve its signature smoky depth. A vital technical secret of this brew is the addition of raw sweet potato flour during mashing, which contributes exogenous amylase enzymes that accelerate starch saccharification before spontaneous lacto-fermentation begins.
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