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New ZealandFlavors · Phalaborwa
Homemade fermented drink made from the juice of marula fruits, from January to March. In Limpopo, the season opens with the festival of the first fruits, and Phalaborwa hosts the annual marula festival where the drink made by local cooperatives is served.
Traditional drink from Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Also known as: mukumbi, morula, marula beer, cerveja de marula
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Vukanyi — Phalaborwa, South Africa
Vukanyi, the Xitsonga name, is a fermented drink made from marula fruits, a tree common in the savannas of northeastern South Africa. The yellow fruits fall ripe in summer; women collect them from the ground, press out the pulp and let the juice ferment for a few days. The drink is cloudy, slightly acidic and alcoholic, and should be consumed soon while fresh. In Tshivenda it is called mukumbi, and in Sepedi, morula.
In Limpopo, the marula is regarded as food for chiefs and ancestors. The season begins with the Ku Luma Vukanyi ceremony, the tasting of the first fruits, when the first portions of marula are offered to the ancestors, poured on the sanctuary ground or over chiefs’ graves before the community may drink. The provincial government organizes the ceremony each year with traditional leaders, in different districts.
Phalaborwa, on the edge of Kruger National Park, is the permanent home of Limpopo’s marula festival, created in the mid-2000s. The town is in Mopani district, where marula trees are plentiful. In season, women’s cooperatives from the area harvest the fruits and make thousands of liters of the drink for the festival, which features music, dance and markets of marula products.
The traditional drink should not be confused with industrial marula liqueurs. Vukanyi is homemade and, in season, is also sold at roadside stalls in the region.
Phalaborwa , Limpopo
Phalaborwa is the permanent host of Limpopo’s marula festival, where the drink produced by regional cooperatives is served.
Juice and pulp of ripe marula fruits (Sclerocarya birrea), naturally fermented for a few days.
Fresh, served in gourds, mugs or cups at seasonal gatherings and celebrations. As it is alcoholic, it should be consumed in moderation.
From January to March, during the marula season, with the ceremony of the first fruits and the Phalaborwa festival, generally held between February and April.
Your questions
A homemade fermented drink made from marula fruit juice, common in Limpopo in northeastern South Africa. It is also called mukumbi and morula, depending on the language.
From January to March, at the end of summer. The season begins with the ceremony of the first fruits, and the Phalaborwa marula festival usually takes place between February and April.
No. Vukanyi is a homemade drink, naturally fermented and consumed fresh. Marula liqueurs are industrial products made differently.
The tasting of the first marula fruits in Limpopo. The first portions of the drink are offered to the ancestors before the community may drink, marking the start of the season.
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