Ogogoro
Encyclopedia
Ogogoro is a west Africa
n alcoholic drink, usually brewed locally. It is most popular in Nigeria
, where it is known as the country's homebrew
. It is also known as akpeteshe (often shortened to tesh), Sapele
water, Kparaga, kai-kai, Sun gbalaja, Egun inu igo meaning The Masquerade in the Bottle, push-me-push-you, and/or crim-kena, Sonsé("do you do it ?" in Yoruba language). Other Nigerian epithets include: ufofob [Calabar], robirobi [Abeokuta], baba erin [Ilesha], etonto [Pidgin English], wuru [Ijaw], Udi Ogagan and Agbakara [Benin] and Aka mere, Agbagba [Urhobo], as well OHMS (Our Home Made Stuff), Iced Water, Push Me, I Push You and Craze man in the bottle.
The active ingredient in ogogoro is ethanol
, whose concentration within the drink is very high; the alcohol content of local ogogoro ranges between 30-60%. Coupled with the fact that it is often home-brewed by amateurs, the drink can be extremely dangerous. Indeed, it is said that hundreds die every year from improperly brewed ogogoro or other such drinks.
, respectively, ogogoro carries substantial cultural and economic significance within Nigeria
. It is an essential part of numerous religious and social ceremonies; Burutu (Ijaw) priests pour it onto the ground as offerings to contact their gods, while fathers of Nigerian brides use it as a libation
by which they provide their official blessing to a wedding.
The economic facets of ogogoro have been equally salient throughout recent Nigerian history. Many poor Nigerian families homebrew the drink as a means of economic subsistence, many of whom sell shots of it on city street corners. The criminalization of ogogoro which occurred under the colonial regime is also believed to have been largely economic; while the public justifications for the law regarded public health and Christian beliefs regarding alcohol, it has been argued that colonial officials were also seeking to suppress local economic activity which might draw money or labor away from the colonial system.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n alcoholic drink, usually brewed locally. It is most popular in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where it is known as the country's homebrew
Homebrewing
Homebrewing is the brewing of beer, wine, sake, mead, cider, perry and other beverages through fermentation on a small scale as a hobby for personal consumption, free distribution at social gatherings, amateur brewing competitions or other non-commercial reasons...
. It is also known as akpeteshe (often shortened to tesh), Sapele
Sapele
Sapele , also known as Sapelli or Aboudikro, is a large tree, Entandrophragma cylindricum, up to 45 m high and native to tropical Africa. The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternately arranged, pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet about 10 cm long...
water, Kparaga, kai-kai, Sun gbalaja, Egun inu igo meaning The Masquerade in the Bottle, push-me-push-you, and/or crim-kena, Sonsé("do you do it ?" in Yoruba language). Other Nigerian epithets include: ufofob [Calabar], robirobi [Abeokuta], baba erin [Ilesha], etonto [Pidgin English], wuru [Ijaw], Udi Ogagan and Agbakara [Benin] and Aka mere, Agbagba [Urhobo], as well OHMS (Our Home Made Stuff), Iced Water, Push Me, I Push You and Craze man in the bottle.
Properties and preparation
Ogogoro is distilled from the juice of Raffia palm trees; an incision is made in the trunk and a gourd placed outside it for collection, which is collected a day or two later. After extraction, the sap is boiled to form steam, which subsequently condenses and is collected for consumption.The active ingredient in ogogoro is ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, whose concentration within the drink is very high; the alcohol content of local ogogoro ranges between 30-60%. Coupled with the fact that it is often home-brewed by amateurs, the drink can be extremely dangerous. Indeed, it is said that hundreds die every year from improperly brewed ogogoro or other such drinks.
Social significance
As drink and commodityCommodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
, respectively, ogogoro carries substantial cultural and economic significance within Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It is an essential part of numerous religious and social ceremonies; Burutu (Ijaw) priests pour it onto the ground as offerings to contact their gods, while fathers of Nigerian brides use it as a libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
by which they provide their official blessing to a wedding.
The economic facets of ogogoro have been equally salient throughout recent Nigerian history. Many poor Nigerian families homebrew the drink as a means of economic subsistence, many of whom sell shots of it on city street corners. The criminalization of ogogoro which occurred under the colonial regime is also believed to have been largely economic; while the public justifications for the law regarded public health and Christian beliefs regarding alcohol, it has been argued that colonial officials were also seeking to suppress local economic activity which might draw money or labor away from the colonial system.