Updated 7th July 2025

Recipe: Mbege - Tanzanian fermented banana 'beer'

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In a ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast episode on traditional East African diets with Prof. Quirijn de Mast and Prof. Tim Spector, we explore Tanzania’s fermented banana beer known as mbege.

This beverage, made by boiling ripe bananas and fermenting the mash with millet flour, is commonly enjoyed in the Kilimanjaro region, where it plays both cultural and nutritional roles.

Inspired by the episode, we created a home-adapted version of mbege.

While we've aimed to stay close to tradition, we recognize this is not an authentic recipe. We aim to make it approachable for those wanting to experience this unique brew at home.

Alcohol Disclaimer: Mbege is mildly alcoholic, and the alcohol content may increase over time depending on fermentation conditions. Please be aware of this when preparing and consuming the beverage. This recipe is intended for responsible adults of legal drinking age. Consume responsibly, and do not drive or operate machinery after drinking.

Ingredients

Makes roughly 500 ml of Mbege

4-6 very ripe bananas
250 g sprouted finger millet grains or flour,
You can also use ragi grains or flour

Method

Day 1:

Mash 4-6 ripe bananas in a bowl. Transfer to a clean, air-tight jar to ferment for 4 days. Mix daily by swishing the jar around to prevent any mould growth.

Day 5:

Add 450ml of water to the bananas and mix. Leave for one more day.

Day 6:

Strain the fermented bananas in a sieve or a cloth to collect the liquid.
Put 250 g of sprouted finger millet grains into a high-powered blender. Blend into a powder (skip this step if you have sprouted finger millet flour).
On a low heat, bring 450ml of water to between 50–70 °C. Once in this range, transfer half of this water into a jug while leaving half in the pot.
Add sprouted finger millet flour to the pot, stirring and cooking for 25 minutes to create a porridge. During the cooking process, occasionally add some leftover water from the jug to the porridge to control the thickness. If possible, use a food thermometer to ensure the porridge stays between 50 and 70 °C.
Once the porridge has cooked and cooled, add it to a clean jar along with the liquid of the fermented bananas. Stir to combine, and leave to ferment for one more day.

Day 7:

Strain out the solids using a sieve or cloth (or keep the solids in for extra nutrients). Bottle and store in the fridge to serve chilled. Enjoy!