Chicha: Corn-spit Beer

Ollantaytambo is a very traditional Andean mountain town, and considered the best remaining example of Inca urban planning; the cobbled streets are narrow, the town is divided into huge blocks, and excellent acqueduct/irrigation systems that drain the water flowing down from the mountains are still in use today (it was that same amazing system of water control that allowed Manco Inca II to flood out and defeat Hernando Pizarro).

Ollantaytambo also still produces 'chicha'. Chicha was the traditional alcoholic drink of the Incas, drunk alike by the common man, and by the Inca himself from goblets of gold and silver. It is made of corn that is fermented by - no kidding here - being chewed by mouth to a paste and spat out. The human saliva begins the fermentation process, and at the end it is a murky yellow, carbonated, beer-like beverage.

Chicha is not made on an industrial scale - families make it in their houses with their corn harvest, and advertise their chicha by posting a red flag in front of their door. Well, I was wandering the backstreets today trying to escape the tourist circus, when I passed by a door with a red flag - I almost kept going, but something drew me back. So I stepped inside a dirty little courtyard, where ears of corn were drying on a mat, and was told to step into the back room, a kitchen so darkened by decades (possibly centuries) of smoking fire that all the walls and ceiling were a deep, charcoal black. I told the duena (proprietess) that I only wanted to taste a little, but for 50 centavos (15 cents) I still got a huge mug of freshly made chica.

I will admit, it was hard to suck it down knowing it was fermented by the old lady's saliva, but damn if it wasn't really good. It's actually somewhat sweet, lightly carbonated, very easy to drink, almost cider-like. I drained the whole mug in a few minutes. I don't know what the alcohol content is (I can't imagine its that high) but its a really great, tasty drink, and I would gladly drink it again - I just have to keep my mind off the thoughts like 'hey man, you're drinking someone else's spit'. No, really, if you ever get a chance, you have to try it - and not some sanitized version, but the real thing, made by some old lady spitting out corn kernels in her kitchen. I might go back tonight.

Anyways, after that I finally wandered down to the mercado, where women huddle around piles of corn, bananas, peaches, coca leaves, and more coca leaves. For one nuevo sole (30 cents) for a huge bag of the freshest, most potent leaves, who could say no? Not me.

A narrow old alley in Ollantaytambo, still using the Incan stones and drainage system.

The red flag marking a house where you can drink home-made chicha.

Me with a mug of saliva-fermented chicha in some old lady's kitchen.

The beautiful Andean mountains surrounding Ollantaytambo.