Zonkom; Spicy Millet Drink

I do not have much to say about Zonkom in all honesty. I recently discovered it and by recently I mean about 2 years ago. I was skeptical to try it at first because, in my head, it was uncooked "Hausa Koko" a Local name for spicy millet porridge. This is because it uses the exact same ingredients and processes and I have been eating Hausa or Ayuo koko all my life. "Ayuo" means millet in twi.

Zonkom, also known as Spicy Millet drink is one of Ghana's most refreshing drinks. It is a spicy millet drink native to the people of Northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. Zonkom basically means flour water and it's a perfect description of the millet flour being mixed with water to give a refreshing taste. The nutty taste of the millet blends perfectly with the exotic flavours of the spices like cloves and Grains of Selim. Plus, the addition of ginger and pepper enhances its spicy flavour

Check the blog for our Sobolo recipe if you haven't already done so.

The very first time I tasted it about 2 years ago, I was completely taken aback as to how good it was and I was wondering how I had not discovered this before because clearly, I was missing out. It can also be served with milk to give it a more creamy taste and of course not forgetting the ice because it's better served chilled.

You need just about 5 ingredients and you are well on your way to making your own Zonkom at home Millet, ginger, dried chilies, cloves and grains of selim.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Course Drinks

Cuisine Ghanaian

Servings

Ingredients

1 Cup Millet
2 root Ginger
10 pieces Cloves
6 pieces Grains of Selim
Dried chilli pepper ( misoa)

Instructions

Begin by picking all the dirt from the millet. Millet typically comes with a lot of dirt from storage etc.
After that, wash the millet with clean water three times or more to completely remove any dirt.
While washing, the dirt and unwanted particles usually float on top of the water so it's easy to discard them. Change the water as many times as needed
After the final wash, add enough water and set it aside overnight. this will help with the fermentation process and also soften the millet for ways of blending.
After 24 hours, wash thoroughly and add I into a blender
Wash and cut your ginger into smaller pieces and add it to the millet
Also add the cloves, grains of Selim, dried chili pepper, and a considerable amount of water.
Proceed to blend everything until a smooth consistency is formed. In large productions, mills are used in making this. they are also known as " nika nika"
Once everything is well blended perfectly, line a cheesecloth in a strainer and separate the chaff from the liquid
You can strain as many times as you prefer till you see happy with the results
Note, keep adding water to the blended mixture during the straining process to make it easier nut not too much so you do not dilute the taste
After straining, add sugar or any sweetener of choice and serve chilled.