ABSTRACT
The proportion of the various kinds of grain in the customary diet shows considerable local variations as well as seasonal changes. In most parts of the District the seasonal changes in consumption are directly dependent upon the agricultural cycle. Apart from dietary changes due to the increased cultivation of maize, the introduction of new varieties of maize, beans and others, and the issue of superior strains of seed, the traditional fare has been augmented by a few imported food items, mainly sugar, salt, and tea. In accordance with the important part which beer-drinking plays in the social life of the Bantu Kavirondo, the manufacture of beer is an elaborate procedure to which much time and great care are devoted. The brewing of beer is surrounded by emotional values and attitudes clearly distinguished from those connected with the preparation of other foods or stimulants.
