An interesting blog on botanical brews from Diane O’Donovan and her excellent writeups on the Voynich manuscript. I’d completely forgotten the exchange that we had on botanical brews – as discussed by me here – https://dianabuja.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/banana-beer-and-other-fermented-drinks-in-africa/. Diane carries out the discussion in her blog, below-referenced.
Diane has a variety of fascinating plates and data on botanical aspects of this medieval European manuscript; very worth checking out!
Banana beer is often on sale in rural markets and is an important micro-enterprise for women who run a small brewing enterprise. The goal is a refreshing drink during the heat of day – not a high alcohol item. The seller is pouring beer into a gourd, which the customer will drink with a straw that is generally made from a local reed. I took this photo at a local market in northern Burundi.
![Baking Holy Bread in the Coptic Monasteries of the Eastern Desert of Egypt [qurban; 'urban]](https://dianabuja.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/one-whittemore_s-expedition-before-leaving-the-monastery-of-saint-anthony-egypt-1930-19312.png?resize=200%2C200)
DIANABUJA'S BLOG: Africa, The Middle East, Agriculture, History and Culture 