Chicha
/ˈtʃiː.tʃə/noun
A traditional fermented beverage of Latin America, often made from corn or other grains and fruits.
Did you know?Chicha has deep pre-Columbian roots in the Andes, where fermentation was tied to ritual, reciprocity, and communal life rather than just intoxication.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian era
Andean Indigenous
chicha
“A fermented beverage made from maize or other local plants, used in daily life and ritual”
16th Century
Spanish
chicha
“Spanish adopts the Indigenous term for native fermented drinks in the Americas”
Modern English
English
chicha
“A Latin American fermented beverage, especially corn beer”
Modern English
English
chicha music
“A genre label later extended from the drink to cultural styles associated with it”