Mu binyejana byinshi bishize, abaturage bo mu Burayi ntibari bafite uburyo bwo gutunganya cyangwa gusukura amazi nk'uko bikorwa muri iki gihe. Amazi menshi yavaga mu nzuzi, mu byobo cyangwa mu mariba yakundaga kwanduzwa n'imyanda, ibisigazwa by'inyamaswa n'indwara zituruka ku mwanda.
Kubera iyo mpamvu, kunywa amazi byashoboraga gutera indwara zikomeye nka kolera, tifoyide n'izindi ndwara zanduza. Mu gihe abantu batari bazi ko bagiteri n'udukoko duto ari byo byatezaga izo ndwara, bari bamaze kubona ko abantu banywaga inzoga bakundaga kutarwara nk'abanywaga amazi.
Impamvu nyamukuru yari uburyo inzoga zakorwaga. Mu gihe cyo kuziteka no kuzitunganya, amazi yabanzaga gutekwa ku bushyuhe bwinshi, ibintu byicaga byinshi mu binyabuzima byatezaga indwara. Nyuma yaho, inzoga zikanyura mu nzira ya fermentation, na yo ikongera kuzifasha kuba zitekanye kunyobwa.
Izi nzoga ntizari zikomeye nk'iz'ubu. Abenshi banywaga icyo bise "small beer", yari ifite alcohol nkeya cyane, akenshi iri munsi ya 2%. Byatumaga n'abana ndetse n'abakozi bazinywa buri munsi nk'ikinyobwa gisanzwe.
Mu mijyi myinshi, abaturage banywaga small beer mu gitondo, saa sita na nimugoroba. Ndetse no mu bigo by'abihaye Imana, abamonaki bakoraga inzoga zabo kandi bakazifata nk'igice cy'ibiribwa bya buri munsi.
Ibi ntibisobanuye ko amazi yose yari mabi. Hari aho amariba meza n'amasoko asukuye yabaga ahari, kandi amazi yaho yaranyobwaga. Ariko mu mijyi minini, aho amazi yakundaga kwanduzwa, inzoga zabaga amahitamo yizewe kurushaho.
Abahanga mu mateka bavuga ko uko siyanse n'isuku byagiye bitera imbere, abantu batangiye gusobanukirwa uburyo amazi ashobora gutunganywa no gukurwamo mikorobe.
Mu kinyejana cya 19, kubakwa kw'imiyoboro y'amazi meza n'ikorwa ry'amazi byatumye kunywa amazi byongera kuba amahitamo meza kurusha inzoga.
Hari igihe abakozi bamwe bo mu Burayi bahembwaga igice cy'umushahara wabo mu nzoga. Byafatwaga nk'ikinyobwa cy'ingenzi mu buzima bwa buri munsi, kandi cyari gifite umutekano kurusha amazi yo mu mijyi myinshi.
Nubwo muri iki gihe amazi meza ari yo asabwa kunyobwa buri munsi, amateka agaragaza ko mu Burayi bwa kera inzoga zari amahitamo atekanye kurusha amazi mu bice byinshi.
Si uko inzoga zari zifite ubuzima bwiza kurusha amazi ubwabyo, ahubwo ni uko uburyo zakorwagamo bwazigiraga umutekano mu gihe amazi menshi yari yanduye.
Source:Smithsonian Magazine – Why Medieval Europeans Drank Beer.