Tonto (beverage)
Encyclopedia
Tonto is a traditional Uganda
n fermented
beverage
made from banana
s. It is also referred to as mwenge bigere.
Tonto is made by ripening green bananas in a pit for several days. The juice
is then extracted, filtered, and diluted before being mixed with ground and roasted sorghum
. This mixture is fermented for two to four days.
Tonto has an alcohol
content ranging from six to eleven percent by volume.
The production of tonto is a source of income for many families in the banana-growing regions of central and western Uganda.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n fermented
Ethanol fermentation
Ethanol fermentation, also referred to as alcoholic fermentation, is a biological process in which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as metabolic waste products...
beverage
Drink
A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society.-Water:...
made from banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s. It is also referred to as mwenge bigere.
Tonto is made by ripening green bananas in a pit for several days. The juice
Juice
Juice is the liquid that is naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue.Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree...
is then extracted, filtered, and diluted before being mixed with ground and roasted sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
. This mixture is fermented for two to four days.
Tonto has an alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
content ranging from six to eleven percent by volume.
The production of tonto is a source of income for many families in the banana-growing regions of central and western Uganda.