Muratina traditional brew

Sausage tree fruits. [Courtesy]

Kikuyu and Meru are two different communities that have one thing in common: muratina. In many gatherings, be it dowry negotiations or traditional weddings, the men held horns with their traditional brew.

Muratina is a traditional beverage that has cultural and social significance served during cultural celebrations, ceremonies, or gatherings. The main ingredient is a fruit from a special tree known as the 'sausage tree', also called Kigelia, a name coined from the appearance of the fruit that is sausage-shaped and dangles from the twigs.