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Chicha

"Chicha" has two different meanings in Native American history:

1) Chicha is the name of an indigenous alcoholic beverage of Central and South America. The drink is usually made of fermented maize or manioc root. The name chicha comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for "sour."

2) Chicha is also the name of one of the Aymaran kingdoms of the Bolivian Andes, located in southern Bolivia. This name is unrelated to the name of the drink-- the Spanish brought the Aztec word into South America with them. The Aymara name for fermented maize drink is k'usa.

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Here are links to our webpages about Chicha:

Chicha drink
The Chichas of Bolivia
Aymara language
Nahuatl language
Aztec mythology
Aymaras
Languages of South America

Here are a few good books about chicha:
Cassava and Chicha: Bread and Beer of the Amazonian Indians
Drink, Power, and Society in the Andes
La Chicha, una Bebida Fermentada a Través de la Historia
Valley of the Spirits: A Journey Into the Lost Realm of the Aymara

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