What is the name of the traditional banana beer from Rwanda?

The traditional banana beer from Rwanda is called urwagwa. It is made from fermented banana juice and is an important traditional beverage in Rwanda and neighbouring Burundi, where it has also been associated with ceremonies and communal occasions.

The beer is usually produced from ripe East African Highland bananas. Traditional methods may use different banana varieties, including the sharper-tasting igikashi and the milder igisahira. The bananas are softened, peeled, and kneaded before their juice is strained and diluted with water. Roasted sorghum flour is commonly added, supplying fermentable material and microorganisms that help the drink develop its alcoholic character.

Fermentation is relatively quick: a traditional mixture may be left for about 24 hours before being filtered and consumed. Urwagwa should not be confused with mbege, a banana beer associated with Tanzania, or mubisi, a Ugandan name for banana beer. Names vary widely across East Africa, but urwagwa is the conventional Rwandan answer in a general-knowledge quiz.