o44 MALT AND BEER IN SPANISH AMERICA. 



it was, in the Argentine Eepublic has a history which dates back before 

 the Spanish conquest. 



" CH10HA " AND " ALOJA." 



From time immemorial, long before the landing of the Spaniards in 

 South America, the native Indians fermented and brewed a beer from 

 maize or Indian corn, which in some parts of the country was called 

 chicha and in others aloja. In the western portions of Bolivia, and in 

 the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, and Santiago del Estero, this beer is 

 still manufactured, and has a grand reputation with the natives and 

 half-breeds, however repugnant may be its mode of preparation, since 

 spittle or saliva is one of the most important ingredients. The maize, 

 after having been coarsely masticated or chewed, is spit out into a 

 large kettle or boiler, which is filled with water and placed on the fire. 

 A thick skum rises to the top ; then, after several hours of boiling, it 

 is taken off and left to ferment. In about torty-eight hours the liquor 

 is decanted and placed in a jar, where it continues to ferment lightly. 

 In this state it is somewhat thick and cloudy, and a sort of yellow oil 

 floats on the top ; but at the end of another two days the chicha is 

 ready for use. Its taste is rather winey, a little sweet, and on the whole 

 not disagreeable. It will intoxicate if too freely taken. Another 

 method consists, where they have the facilities, of breaking the corn in 

 a mortar and then placing it in a kettle, completing the operation as in 

 the former case. While this method is decidedly more cleanly, the prod- 

 uct is much more unpleasant to the taste, and the other is greatly pre- 

 ferred by amateurs. In the province of Tucuman they put the maize 

 in the bottom of a jar, pour boiling water over it, and then leave it to 

 ferment. It is called aloja, and is very refreshing. 



u ALGORROBA " BEER. 



In the provinces of Rioja, Santiago del Estero, Cordoba, and Tucu- 

 man, beer is likewise made from the fruits of the Algorrciba, the Molle, 

 and the Chanar trees. It is prepared by infusing the fruits, sometimes 

 in cold but more frequently in boiling water, and waiting until the al- 

 coholic principle begins to develop itself. The beer thus fabricated is 

 of moderate strength ; but its taste, though very satisfactory to those 

 who live in the far interior, is sufficiently repugnant to a traveler. All 

 these chichas are very much used by the natives of the country during 

 the fruit season, constituting in those remote regions, in many cases, the 

 principal beverage on festival occasions. 



IMPORTATIONS OF BARLEY AND MALT. . 



In regard to the ordinary malt beers of commerce, it is now some 

 years since establishments for their preparation first began to be oper- 

 ated in this city. They are now also to be found in Montevideo, Ro- 



