Masato is a pretty popular fermented beverage in Amazonian Peru. It is made from a mixture of the root of cassava plant and human spit. Chunks of peeled cassava are chewed by the local ladies and the liquid portion spat back into a vat. Proteins in the saliva initiate the fermentation process converting starch to sugar to alcohol, resulting in a cloudy white drink with a slightly sweet but sour taste.
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