Bouye

Bouye is a a traditional drink made from baobab fruit, from Senegal, West Africa. The baobab has huge significance across Africa. It is known as the ‘Tree of Life’ due to its medicinal properties and longevity.

Baobab fruit (also known as monkey fruit or kwalba) is super nutritious, rich in antioxidants, fibre, iron, vitamin C, and calcium. You can buy dried or powdered baobab fruit in many African stores; we bought ours in Ma Soda in Brixton. Making bouye is easy. Bouye drink can be made using milk or unfermented. We’re sharing a fermented, milk-free, recipe here. Fermentation further increases its nutritional value.

Ingredients:

500g dried baobab fruit

1 litre of filtered water

50g sugar

2tsp fresh ginger (optional)

2 drops orange blossom extract (optional)

Method:

Add the ingredients to a clean glass vessel. Mix thoroughly, cover with a piece of muslin or kitchen roll and a rubber band to prevent flies or debris entering. Leave the mixture to ferment for at least 3 days, depending on the temperature of your room. You will know when the fermentation starts as small bubbles will appear on the surface of the mixture and the taste will change from sweet to slightly tangy. During the process, the seeds of the baobab fruit will separate from the flesh. So, when ready to drink, sieve the mixture. Pour into glasses. Enjoy with ice!