Parakari is a

fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...

alcoholic beverage Drinks containing alcohol (drug), alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and Distilled beverage, spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered Non-al ...

made by Amerindians of

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. Like other cassava alcoholic beverages, parakari is made by dual fermenting

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

(a large starchy root), which involves the use of an amylolytic mold (Rhizopus sp., Mucoraceae,

Zygomycota Zygomycota, or zygote fungi, is a former phylum, division or phylum of the kingdom Fungi. The members are now part of two Phylum, phyla: the Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycotina, Zoopagomycota. Approximately 1060 species are known. They are mostly t ...

) by chewing it. Parakari is produced by

Pemon The Pemon or Pemón (Pemong) are Indigenous people living in areas of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana.See pp.112,113 and 178 of ''Venezuela: the Pemon'', in '' Condé Nast Traveler'', December 2008. The Pemon people are divided into many dialects ...

Wapishana The Wapishana or Wapichan (or Wapisiana, Wapitxana, Vapidiana, Wapixana) are an Indigenous group found in the Roraima area of northern Brazil and southern Guyana. Location Currently the Wapishana are located in the State of Roraima, Brazil, nor ...

Macushi The Macushi (''Makuusi'', ) are an Indigenous people living in the borderlands of southern Guyana, northern Brazil in the state of Roraima, and in an eastern part of Venezuela. Identification The Macushi are also known as the Macusi, Macussi, ...

, Patamona tribes, and production was observed among the Wai-wai, but is said to have ceased due to Christian missionary suppression. For the Makushi tribe, parakari making and drinking are an important part of group cohesion and cultural identity. In a study of the production process in a Wapisiana village, thirty steps were involved in parakari manufacture, including the use of specific cassava varieties, control of culture temperature and boosting of ''Rhizopus'' inoculum potential with purified starch additives. The cassava contains high amounts of cyanide and can be deadly if not prepared properly. To prepare parakari, cassava root is grated and placed in a long, woven strainer to drain out the juice of the cassava. Toxins are rinsed out and the resulting flour is made into bread. The bread used to make parakari is deliberately overcooked, as burning lends the drink its characteristic taste. This bread is then soaked in water, broken up, and placed in a bed of leaves. A powder of dried cassava leaves containing the Rhizopus inoculum is added as well as tapioca starch and dried cassava slices that encourage fermentation. The bread is removed after a number of days and placed a vessel for further fermentation, in which a shorter time will yield a sweeter drink, and a longer time a more bitter, alcoholic drink. This second fermentation can take between 1 day to 5 weeks. Sarawi is another cassava-based beverage made by the Wapisiana tribe.

References

External links

The Importance of Parakari
A video from Cobra Collective of traditional production. {{Alcoholic beverages Alcoholic drinks Amylase induced fermentation Fermented drinks Guyanese cuisine Indigenous cuisine of the Americas

See also

References

External links