Kashasa is an alcoholic drink with a strength from 38 to 50 degrees. It is transparent or light brown color. Make it in Brazil of the begun to ferment sugar cane. Kashasa is considered a country symbol, such as, for us vodka. In 2009 the president of Brazil even signed the decree on a national holiday of a kashasa. Until recently this drink was unfamiliar to our consumer. Now it can be got in specialized shops.
Brazilians are the main consumers of a kashasa. 95% of the drink manufactured in Brazil go to domestic market. And its most part is drunk during a carnival in Rio de Janeiro. In a year the temperamental Latin Americans consume more than 1.5 billion liters, i.e. 7.5 liters are the share of one inhabitant. At the same time the kashasa is considered drink of the simple people and middle class. Rich Brazilians give bigger preference to the European alcohol. Commercially this product is also manufactured in Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico. However, the real judges recognize the best the kashasa made in Brazil.
History of creation of a kashasa
The tradition of production to a kashas arose in the 16th century when Portuguese delivered a sugar cane to this country. Culture well took root on the new earth and became the main income item for colonialists. Slaves from Africa who collected reed noticed that juice of this plant in the sun begins to wander, and the use it in such look lightens the mood. It was favorable to planters to have cheerful workers because the performance of their work became higher. Owners used such drink as encouragement for good work. Then it was disgusting swill with an unpleasant odor and taste. Later Portuguese began to overtake the begun to ferment juice via the moonshine still, impacting to drink aroma and relish. So there was a kashasa. Therefore the ancestors of a kashasa which is more than 400 years old it is possible to call black African slaves, and Portuguese only improved production and quality. Drink began to gain the increasing popularity among local community, having pressed the Portuguese port wine. Colonialists even imposed a number of a ban on production of a kashasa. But port wine sales volumes all the same fell. And then the government of Portugal withdrew the ban, imposed production of alcohol with a big tax that as a result led to filling of treasury.
Modern production of a kashasa
Today the kashasa is manufactured in Brazil everywhere. Distinguish two types of this drink:
- Fazendny or artizanalny. It is made in personal farms in the handicraft way.
- It is made at the plants with observance of standards and norms. Here the product is certified and issued for internal consumption and for export. On technology of a kashas byvayetsvezhy (white, silver) also spreads on bottles right after distillation; sustained (gold) which ripens in wooden barrels; tinted when the ready-made product is tinted natural colors, caramel or special extract.
At the same time the status can be given to the sustained kashasa at observance of two conditions:
1) maturing of drink is made in wooden barrels no more than 700 liters within one year and more;
2) drink has to be not less than 50 degrees. Requirements of the Brazilian legislation are that.
The bonus kashasa has to be sustained 5-7 years, and ultrabonus over 15 years. Barrels in which there is an endurance are made from an oak, a cedar, an arariba.
Production technology of a kashasa
The fazendny kashasa because it is made in the natural way is considered the most qualitative, and therefore it is appreciated above industrial. Now in Brazil more than 40 thousand producers of this drink, but volumes of the made products are very small. For this reason the natural kashasa is used only in domestic market, for export doesn't leave. Production takes place several stages:
- On raw materials there is a perfect sugar cane collected manually. It is very important that reed was mature. Juice of green stalks contains dangerous methyl alcohol.
- From collected reed wring out juice by means of primitive manual presses.
- After filtering, juice is merged in wooden barrels and left for independent fermentation on the street. Sometimes, for acceleration of fermentation add old home brew or yeast to juice. Fermentation lasts from 18 to 48 hours.
- The begun to ferment juice is distilled through a copper cube.
- Distillate is spilled on glass tanks or sent for maturing in wooden barrels.
Handicraft producers observe a different compounding of production, adding to juice rice, grain, soy, bran, corn flour or other ingredients, and make endurance in barrels from fruit trees, almonds, a chestnut to give to drink special flavoring notes. Production of a kashasa are a long and labor-intensive process therefore one economy a year can produce no more than 200 liters.
Harm and advantage
Has no special useful properties of a kashas. But it can be used as a spirit basis for production of various tinctures. At external application the kashasa is used as disinfecting, antiseptic, styptic and wound healing means. As it is strong alcoholic drink, it needs to be used in moderate quantity. At overdose there are intoxication symptoms, vomiting and nausea, consciousness loss, neurologic violations, deteriorations in sight and hearing. At chronic abuse kashasy, however, as well as other alcohol, alcohol addiction develops, the liver, heart and a brain is surprised.