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- They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and it seems Kenyans have whole heartily embraced the saying and taken it to heart.
- A section of Kenyans are now boiling pineapples peels to make alcohol.
- The demand for pineapple peels is so high now that a few vegetable traders with an entrepreneurial mindset are reported to have even started selling them instead of throwing them away as was the norm before.
They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and it seems Kenyans have whole heartily embraced the saying and taken it to heart.
It’s a fact that Kenyans love drinking and as a result Kenya is a drinking nation.
According to beer manufacturer Diageo, Kenya is among five African countries that consumes large quantities of Guinness and as such features high on the Guinness world beer consumption rankings.
playA group of men in Western Kenya sharing a traditional alcoholic drink locally known as Busaa. (Face2Face Africa)
However, as much as Kenyans love to down their brown bottles and spirits, not all of them can afford to buy alcohol especially in these tough economic times.
Since 1st September when the 16 per cent levy on petroleum product came into effect, there has been a countrywide uproar, with Kenyan commuters especially feeling the pitch after the public transport sector decided to unitarily increase fares by as much as 40 per cent.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last week rejected the Finance Bill 2018 which among other things had proposed the total scrapping of the 16% Value Added Tax (V.A.T) on petroleum products, proposing instead to slashing it by half to 8% which is still steep.
playPresident Uhuru Kenyatta raising a toast. (the star)
Parliament is yet to deliberate on the matter and for now Kenyans are effectively condemned to a high cost of living.
So what happens when one wants to drown their sorrows and they can’t afford alcohol? They improvised and put their High School Chemistry skills to use.
That is exactly what a section of Kenyans have been doing in recent days and in the true definition of entrepreneurship have turned what was until now a ‘useless waste product’ into a key ingredient in the making of a potent alcohol which is quickly gaining fame.
playA section of Kenyans are now boiling pineapples peels to make alcohol. (Facebook)
A section of Kenyans are using pineapples peels to make alcohol.
After first getting wind of the story on Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals Facebook page, one of the most popular Facebook groups in Kenya with more than one million members, Business Insider SSA (BISSA) decided to go on a fact finding mission to get to the bottom of the matter.
It is not yet clear how the pineapple peels alcoholic drink was invented and whether it was by accident or through the work of a genius, but after one member posted the ‘invention’ on the group, within minutes thousands of comments started trickling in with some members confirming its authenticity and potency while others promised to immediately try out the new drink.
Also read: Meet the deadly and illegal alcoholic brews of Africa
playA Facebook post on Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals Facebook page about the Pineapple alcoholic drink. (Facebook)
Since then one member after another has been posting their experiences about ‘the new drink in town’ on the page with all being positive.
“It is true I have actually tasted the drink and I can confirm it has alcoholic properties, its tastes more like Mnazi (palm wine) or Muratina (local fermented honey beer),” Pamellah Odour, an entrepreneur and Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals group admin and founder tells BISSA.
playPamellah Odour, an entrepreneur and Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals group admin is all similes with a Chinese trader while she was in China. (Courtesy)
After discovering the ‘drink’, Pamellah, who recently came back from China, went home and prepared the peels herself much to her joy – here is how to prepare the ‘new drink in town’.
“So to make the drink, the first thing you do is buy pineapples and wash them thoroughly before you start peeling. After that, you take the peels and put them in a Sufuria (cooking pot) and mix them with water and sugar and then boil the contents. When it is still lukewarm, you add yeast, seal it and then store it for a minimum of 24 hours,” says Pamellah.
playThe pineapple peels alcoholic drink after being boiled and sieved. (courtesy)
Pamellah adds that there are several ways of enjoying the drink.
“It’s nice and for those who find it too harsh, you can use it for other fruit juices to make cocktails.”
Also read: This smart Entrepreneur is leading Kenyans back to their kitchens one meal at a time
playThe Pineapple alcoholic drink ready to be served. (Facebook)
Don’t be too quick to dismiss the ‘invention’ as nothing more than the work of idle Kenyans. The invention actually holds water and the drink is real as BISSA found out after speaking to Paul Kimani, a Chemistry graduate from Jomo Kenyatta University.
“Yes, pineapple peels can be turned into alcohol. After all, some alcoholic drinks are actually made from fermented fruits. Pineapple peels have sugar that is what is normally broken down into alcohol, mostly ethanol. I think by boiling it they want to break it down further into simple sugars so that when they add yeast, the conversion to alcohol is quicker,” Kimani tells BISSA.
playThe alcoholic drink is made from pineapple peels. (courtesy)
As to how potent the drink is Kimani, who recently cleared his Masters in Analytical Chemistry, says the final solution is more of a wine than a whiskey or hard spirit.
“The final solution is indeed alcoholic but not so potent. You will end up making something more like wine than whiskey because the yeast is made of Zymase and it’s a living organism so it can’t produce a lot of alcohol content more than I think 12%. In my estimation, the pineapple leaves can produce alcohol content of between 4% – 12% depending on how long you let them stay.”
playA positive review post about the drink on Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals Facebook page. (Facebook)
Kenyans have a knack for coming up with inventions to survive whenever life pushes them to the edge.
Early this year after the government imposed a charcoal ban effectively pushing up the cost of living, many Kenyans transformed their simple thermos flasks from storing tea and beverages into a daily cooking utensil as they moved to save time, cost and energy.
playA user shares his thermos cooking experience on Facebook (Face book)
The equation goes something like this: boil water + add dried ingredients in thermos x a few hours = hot and healthy meal.
The new ‘invention is just another testament of their ingenious spirit.
playThe Pineapple alcoholic drink can be enjoyed as cocktail too. (Courtesy)
The demand for pineapple peels is now so high that the streets of Nairobi and estates’ dumpsites are virtually minus the peels.
A few vegetable traders with an entrepreneurial mindset are reported to have even started selling the peels instead of throwing them away as was the norm before.
playA pineapple vegetable vendor in Nairobi,Kenya. (Facebook)
With life expected to be even harder as days goes by one thing is for certain, more and more Kenyans will soon discard their pricey drinks for the cheaper ‘pineapple peels alcoholic drink’ and turn their houses into little distilleries.
Expect to be served with the ‘new drink in town’ should you pay Kenya a visit any time soon.
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