Chequeté (corn) is one of the favorite food of the orishas and is mostly used in our religion, and though it does not come from Africa our ancestors have used it since the Europeans were taking it there. With the corn one elaborates the cheketé or chequeté that is the sacred drink of the orishas that is served in certain celebrations as drums ceremony. There are different variants according to the saint’s houses and the countries, where rind of pineapple(pine cone) is added, for example, but it does not form a part of the original recipe.
The ingredients are: orange embitters, corn and honey of bee or of cane.
Preparation: the oranges are squeezed, the corn is ground and puts in water. It is poored in a container that can be of glass or of plastic, but never of metal.
It is covered and kept in a dark place until it ferments. After fermented it may be sweeten with honey or with cane syrup.
The corn and the oranges will ferment during a couple of weeks and the drink will acquire a strange flavor, that which will change with honey.