Chicha
Guamán Poma de Ayala drawing of Inca man drinking and surrounded with large ceramics pots filled with chicha
In the Andes people have historically consumed a brewed beverage known as chicha; a 1-12% alcoholic beverage made from fermented corn. The drink was vital to the daily life in the Andean region. A high demand existed for chicha because it tasted good and proved much cleanlier and healthier than most water supplies. Most used it as a daily beverage to compliment the food they served or drank it alone for it nutritional value. Men and women and children 14 or over commonly drank three cups of chicha every day. Chicha came in different varieties depending on one’s brewing technique, choice of corn, aging, and flavor additives. For instance we know that some added berries, sugar, and or, lemon to their chicha brew.
