Nutritional Value of the Alcoholic Beverage “Parshot” as a Staple and Total Nutrition Food in Dirashe Special Worenda, Sounthern Ethiopia

The global incidence of malnutrition has seen a decreasing trend. However, it continues to remain a serious concern in Africa, where people are dependent on rain-fed agriculture and suffer from unstable climate that governs the crop yield. To prevent malnutrition, it is a prerequisite to consume proteins and amino acids, major components of the human body, in addition to grains as an energy source. Nevertheless, the Dirashe people in the semiarid region in Africa manage to maintain health, despite the fact that they are almost entirely dependent on local liquor made of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and maize (Zea mays) for their nutritional intake. I conducted a participant observation study and an investigation of the content of the meals and amount and frequency of intake; I also obtained samples of sorghum, maize, and alcoholic beverages. The analysis showed that the amount of amino acids in the alcoholic beverage was higher than that in the grains. In addition, the results of the observation study showed that the Dirashe people drink a lot of alcoholic beverages and increase the nutritional value of sorghum and maize by using them to make alcoholic beverages. Most people in Africa improve the nutrient quality of their food intake by cultivating beans; however, the Dirashe people obtain nutrients efficiently by cooking and consuming a limited number of crops.