Southern Africa · Drink
Khadi (Fermented Wild Berry and Honey Wine)
An ancient Kalahari indigenous wine fermented from pounded wild Grewia flava berries and wild honey with an assertive tart-sweet and smoky finish.
The story
Originating among the San and Bakgalagadi communities inhabiting the sandveld of the Kalahari desert, Khadi is brewed for festive village gatherings and communal milestones. Traditionally brewed inside porous earthenware pots, it harnesses wild yeasts from sun-dried moretlwa (raisin bush berries) and raw comb honey. A lesser-known indigenous technique involves lightly scorching wild dried tubers over mopane embers to introduce specialized tannins that protect the brew and accelerate fermentation in arid climates.
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