Traditional Wheat Muday Recipe: Ancestral Mapuche Homebrew Beer

Name: Traditional Wheat Muday Recipe — Ancestral Mapuche Beer
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 48 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mapuche
Ingredients: 2 cups hulled wheat; 5 liters of water; Honey (optional); Mint leaves (optional)

This post is also available in: Español Português

Muday is a traditional beverage of the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina, an ancestral beer made from wheat, distinguished by its fermentation process and nutritional properties.

Nutritional information

Each serving of wheat muday contains approximately 250 kcal, 10 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fat, 9 g of protein, 3 g of fiber, 0 g of sugar, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 10 mg of sodium.

How to make Mapuche wheat muday?

Wheat muday is obtained from the fermentation of boiled and chewed grain, so its preparation requires patience and a love of tradition — each step is essential to achieve the desired result.

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 90 minutes
Fermentation: 48 hours
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

2 cups hulled wheat
5 liters of water
Honey (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)

Preparation

Add the cleaned wheat to a large pot, cover with enough water, bring to a boil and cook for about 60 minutes or until tender, making sure the water does not evaporate completely, refilling if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the water carefully and let it rest uncovered so that the residual steam dissipates and the wheat cools.

Take 4 tablespoons of the cooked wheat (about 20% of the total) and chew them, keeping them in your mouth for about 30 seconds to allow saliva to mix with the grains, incorporating the enzymes needed for fermentation. Transfer the rest of the cooked wheat to a food processor, close the lid and pulse 10 to 15 times in 2-second intervals until the wheat is partially crushed.

Heat 3 liters of water in a large pot, bring to a boil, turn off the heat and incorporate both the ground and chewed wheat. Stir until you obtain a milky appearance and set aside in a pitcher or water dispenser covered with a clean cloth.

Rest at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the desired level of fermentation. Serve the muday in medium glasses; optionally sweeten with a little ulmo honey or add a few mint leaves for a refreshing touch.

Why must part of the grain be chewed?

Saliva contains ptyalin (salivary amylase), an enzyme capable of breaking down the complex carbohydrates (starches) present in grains such as wheat.

This breakdown converts starches into glucose and other simple sugars, which are essential for the fermentation process.

By chewing the cooked wheat, ptyalin begins to act immediately. This carbohydrate breakdown begins in the mouth and is crucial because sugars are the basic food source for the yeasts and bacteria that carry out fermentation.

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The presence of simple sugars in the wheat-saliva mixture provides a favorable environment for the naturally occurring yeasts in the air to begin multiplying and fermenting the mixture.

Instructions in Mapudungun

Itrokom domó, ülcha, kusé, itro chumnechi domó nepe rumé konkei muskatun meu. Futake kütral llemai deumanekei, itro werá ká. Wichuke nieipün challák puke domó; anükefinün ka wadkükunufinün ukelelfinün kachilla tañi muskayael llemai.
Kumelelu kachilla, lepukunukefinun ta ruka tani elam kudí. Elam kudi, uné elnekei ta chukum ka elnekei metrül kudi ka fulmalelnekei ta kuü. Fei meu mai, trür entukeinün ta domo ñi puke challá ka waichilfkefinün (takukununekei pichi rali meu) tañi tripayael ko, ka wenu purankefinün ta tufeichi kachilla tañi tripayael arem.
Falen meu yenekei challa kudi plé. Lukutukei mai puke domó ka ültrunkunoael reké lemnekei ta kachilla. Fei meu mai itro trür ülkantukeinün pu domo: psei, passe’i, fséi, fsséi, etc. Petú mültrüntunei kachilla nülaleikei. Rupan nülalelu tofkúlen tukulnekei kiñee pichi metawe meu. Metawe meu chi tukuel fürelkefin ta muska; femuechi deumanenoel chi muska kochikellelai, kümekelai mai.
Rupan mültrünnyekelu ta kachilla anükununekei ta challa küitral meu. Pichintu wadkülu tukulelnekei kom mültrün ka tufeichi metawe meu mülelu; ka tañi küme deifükunuael tuaikununekei. Fentrentu wadkülu flan lewetui ko; fei ula yenskei futake metawe meu meseñ pinelu tañi kochifureael lle mai. Meseñ meu epuwentu meu ta kümei ta tufeichi muska tañi putukoneael.
Tufa-ula aimeñ winkaulu chi che tukulelkefi ta challa ñi muskapel re mültrün ka tañi kochi-füreael tukulelnekei ta lakan manchana. Femnechi mai kimnekei muska ta nielu tofkü ñi mülemünun lakan; ülemunun lakan nelai tofkü lle mai. Femnichi deumanekei muska trawun meu putuel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the actual alcohol content of muday?

Traditionally, muday has a very low alcohol content, usually between 1 and 2% ABV. This is because the fermentation time is short (24–48 hours), prioritizing nutritional and refreshing properties over intoxicating effect.

2. Can chewing be replaced with barley malt?

From a purely chemical perspective, barley malt provides similar enzymes that can break down starch. However, technically it would no longer be traditional muday, since the specific microbiological balance contributed by the oral flora — and the cultural character of the process — would be lost.

3. Why is ulmo honey often used?

Ulmo honey not only adds sweetness but also has natural antimicrobial properties that can help stabilize the drink once the desired fermentation level is reached, while also complementing the aromatic profile of the cooked wheat.

4. Which microorganisms are involved in the fermentation?

In addition to environmental yeasts (Saccharomyces), lactic acid bacteria also participate in muday. This generates a mixed fermentation that gives the drink a slight acidic note (low pH), which helps preserve the beverage for a short time and aids digestion.

5. How do you know if the muday has over-fermented?

If the aroma becomes sharp and similar to vinegar, or if a dense dark film forms on the surface, acetic fermentation has taken over. Muday should smell of fresh grain, bread, and a slight yeast note.

The importance of muday in Mapuche culture

Muday is not only a nutritious beverage but is also used in Mapuche ceremonies to bless and celebrate important events, as its preparation is considered a sacred act that brings the community together.