 Amasi in a supermarket fridge | |
| Nutritional value per 100g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 269 kJ (64 kcal) |
3.68 g | |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g |
3.66 g | |
| Saturated | 2.35 g |
| Monounsaturated | 1.09 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 0.98 g |
3.3 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 4% 37.50 μg |
| Vitamin B12 | 17% 0.40 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 12% 162 mg |
| Magnesium | 3% 14.30 mg |
| Phosphorus | 7% 92.20 mg |
| Potassium | 6% 190 mg |
| Sodium | 2% 56.70 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Cholesterol | 9 mg |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[2] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[3] Source: [1] | |
Amasi (in Ndebele, Zulu and Xhosa), emasi (in Swazi), maas (in Afrikaans), or mafi (in Sesotho), is a thick curdled sour fermented milk product that is sometimes compared to cottage cheese or plain yogurt but has a much stronger flavor. A staple food in pre-colonial times, it is now a popular snack in South Africa and Lesotho.
Preparation[edit]
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.[4] A calabash is smoked, then milk from the cow is put in a skin bag or bucket, where it ferments for 1 - 5 days, and acquires a sharp acidic taste.[5] The fermenting milk develops a watery substance called umlaza, 'whey'; the remainder is amasi. This thick liquid is mostly poured over mealie meal porridge called pap (Xhosa: umphokoqo).[6] It is traditionally served in a clay pot and it can also be drunk.[4][1]
Commercially, amasi is produced using Lactococcus lactis, along with subspecies, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremonis. The milk is first removed of impurities such as particulate matter, white blood cells and udder tissue cells. 3% skim milk powder and 0.5% gelatine is added to the raw milk to improve the nutritional value. The milk is then pasteurised at 72 °C for 15 seconds; then cooled at 30 °C to prevent thickening. Lactococcus lactis is then added at a level of 106 cfu/ml and incubated at 30 °C for 16 to 24 hours.[1]
In culture[edit]
Zulu[edit]
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.[7]
South Africa[edit]
Nelson Mandela mentions how he cautiously left a friend'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.[8]
Amasi is also popular in South African Indian cuisine where it is used similarly to curd.
Xhosa[edit]
In the Xhosa culture, a bride is served amasi and a piece of meat, which is called uTsiki, as a sign of being welcomed into her new family.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Maleke, Mpho Sebabiki; Adefisoye, Martins Ajibade; Doorsamy, Wesley; Adebo, Oluwafemi Ayodeji (1 July 2021). "Processing, nutritional composition and microbiology of amasi: A Southern African fermented milk product". Scientific African. 12: e00795. Bibcode:2021SciAf..1200795M. doi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00795.
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "SA Culture – Ukdula". National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa. Retrieved 18 January 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "AMASI".
- ^ "Umphokoqo - crumbly mealie pap with amasi | Food & Home Entertaining". www.foodandhome.co.za. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ Megan Russell; Tamlin Armstrong; Sarah Dawson. "Diet [of the Zulu people]". Thinkquest. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2007.
- ^ Mandela, Nelson (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-87496-5.
External links[edit]
- Princess Magogo talks about amasi (sour milk)
- Study on nutritional benefits of amasi
- Review of the destruction of E. coli in amasi.