Togwa is a fermented gruel prepared from cereals such as maize
and sorghum or the root tuber of cassava. Togwa is a traditional
food of Tanzania. The ground cereal is boiled to a thick porridge and
flour made from germinated cereals, so called power flour, is added.
Addition of power flour liquefies the porridge, mainly by amylase activity
and contributes with a rich microflora of especially yeasts and
lactic acid bacteria. The slurry is subsequently let to ferment over
night. Togwa is used as a weaning food for the younger children or
by adults as a refreshment drink (Lorri and Svanberg, 1995). Togwa
is cheap to produce and contains, in addition to a high energy content,
important minerals e.g. iron and zinc. Consumption of togwa may
thus decrease the problems associated with mineral deficiencies,
such as iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in developing countries. However,
in spite of the fact that togwa is rich in minerals, the availability of
these for uptake in the intestine may be low, mainly due to presence
of different mineral binding compounds, especially phytate.