Amasi

Amasi (in Zulu and Xhosa), maas (in Afrikaans), or mafi (in Sesotho), is a fermented milk product that is similar to cottage cheese or plain yogurt. It is a popular snack in South Africa and Lesotho.

Amasi
Amasi in a supermarket fridge
Nutritional value per 100g
5 g
Sugars0 g
Dietary fiber0 g
4.4 g
Saturated2.7 g
3.7 g
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Sodium
3%
47 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Cholesterol9 mg
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/6001391000239/amasi

Preparation

Amasi is traditionally prepared by storing unpasteurised cow's milk in a calabash container (Xhosa: iselwa Zulu: igula) or hide sack to allow it to ferment.[1] The fermenting milk develops a watery substance called umlaza; the remainder is amasi. This thick liquid is mostly poured over mealie meal porridge called pap. (Xhosa: umphokoqo),[2] It is traditionally served in a clay pot (Zulu: ukhamba) and eaten with wooden spoons, but it can also be drunk. I.[1] Amasi is also produced commercially using Lactococcus lactis, along with subspecies of L. lactis.

Benefits

Amasi can benefit gastrointestinal health. Probiotics within amasi can improve digestive health, helping to ease common issues such as bloating and constipation. Amasi can also boost a person's immune system.[3]

In culture

Zulu

Traditionally, Zulus believe that amasi makes a man strong, healthy, and desired. During "taboos", such as periods during menstruation or when a person has been in contact with death, the affected person must abstain from amasi. Milk is hardly ever drunk fresh, but it is sometimes used to thin amasi which is deemed too thick to be used.[4]

South Africa

Nelson Mandela mentions how he cautiously left a friends'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 seldom drank amasi.[5]

Amasi is also popular in South African Indian cuisine where it is used similarly to curd.

Xhosa

In the Xhosa culture, a bride is served amasi and a piece of meat as a sign of being welcomed into her new family.

See also

References
  1. "SA Culture – Ukdula". National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa. Retrieved 18 January 2007.
  2. "Umphokoqo - crumbly mealie pap with amasi | Food & Home Entertaining". www.foodandhome.co.za. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  3. "Amasai: One of the Best Probiotic Drinks". Dr. Axe. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  4. Megan Russell; Tamlin Armstrong; Sarah Dawson. "Diet [of the Zulu people]". Thinkquest. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2007.
  5. Mandela, Nelson (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-87496-5.


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