Chicha de jora was the sacred drink of the Inca Empire — produced and stored in vast qollqa (storehouses) throughout the empire. It was used in religious ceremonies, as currency, and as daily sustenance for workers building the empire's infrastructure. No discussion of Andean food culture is complete without understanding chicha.
Chicha de jora — the fermented corn beverage of the Andes — is produced through a unique fermentation triggered by human salivary amylase (in the traditional method): dried corn kernels are chewed to a paste, the salivary amylase pre-converts the starch to sugars, and the resulting mass is dried into cakes, which are then dissolved in water and fermented. Modern production uses malted corn (identical in principle — amylase converts starch to sugar — without the chewing step). The result is a mildly alcoholic, slightly sour, corn-forward drink that has been produced in the Andes for 2,000+ years.
- **The enzyme mechanism:** The salivary amylase in human saliva (ptyalin) converts starch to maltose — the same mechanism as malting barley for beer. The saliva-based method produces a faster, more complete conversion than pure malting. [VERIFY] Acurio's chicha production description. - **The fermentation:** Wild yeasts from the corn, the environment, and the production vessels drive an alcoholic and lactic acid fermentation. - **Culinary use:** Chicha is used in Andean cooking as a cooking medium — for braising meats and as a base for sauces. Its lactic acid tenderises; its corn-derived sugars contribute to Maillard browning.
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