Southern Africa · Drink
Omaere (Cultured Buttermilk)
A thick, tangily refreshing cultured buttermilk hand-churned in traditional calabashes by pastoralist Herero communities across Namibia.
The story
Central to the pastoral identity of the OvaHerero and Ovambanderu people of eastern and central Namibia, Omaere is a thick, restorative fermented milk consumed daily. Historically prepared inside dried hollow gourds (ozondjupa) treated with smoke from specific aromatic shrubs like Combretum, the milk is soured and gently rocked to separate butterfat. The resulting buttermilk possesses a velvety, thick body with a pleasant lactic acidity that sustains herders under the intense Kalahari sun.
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