CORN BEER OR LOCALLY CALLED "ASAANA"

 

Corn beer locally known as “asaana” made from corn, is a traditional beverage in various cuisines, and is a popular ingredient for the home brewer because it ferments easily. With a few simple ingredients and pieces of equipment that most people already have in their kitchen, you can make a delicious batch of homemade beer. A couple of days and less than 10 steps is all it takes to make a delicious corn beer.
 It is also a drink where when you go to the market and you are exhausted from all the shopping in the sunshine, you stop one of the market women carrying those “asana” and buy a little. Many people, especially today's youth do not even know what it is.

Corn or maize is one of the most popular cereals in the world and forms the staple food in many countries, including the United States and many African countries. Health benefits of corn include controlling diabetes, prevention of heart ailments, lowering hypertension and prevention of neural-tube defects at birth. Corn not only provides the necessary calories for healthy, daily metabolism, but is also a rich source of vitamins A, B, E and many minerals. However corn beer with all the health benefit from corn shows that it indeed good for the body. Corn beer is locally produced in the southern part of Ghana, Greater Accra to be precise. It is easy to prepare, the following is the instruction to how corn beer or asana is prepare and it depends on the quantity you prefer. However after the preparation it is covered and till it get fermented which will then turn into an alcoholic beverage.

Place 1/2 cup of corn, 1/4 cup of wheat berries and 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a blender and puree.

Transfer contents to a large plastic container and add one quart of warm water plus the yeast starter to the mixture.

Cover the mixture and place in a warm, dark area such as the bottom of a cupboard or cabinet for at least 24 hours. The specific temperature is not important; you just do not want the mixture to be cooler than room temperature.

Strain the mixture through two layers of cheesecloth to remove any clumps.

Pour the mixture into a 2 liter soda bottle and securely tighten the bottle top.

Allow the mixture to ferment in a cabinet or cupboard until the bottle becomes hard to the touch and cannot be squeezed in any area.