"Let's Try Magoo": US Family Living in Sandton Tries Mageu for the First Time and Divides Mzansi

• An American family based in Sandton, Johannesburg, filmed themselves tasting Mageu banana and strawberry flavours for the first time
• The family behind @blueprintsandbloodlines mispronounced the drink's name, adding to the comedy of the taste test
• South Africans flooded the comments to clarify that Mageu is not an everyday beverage for most locals

An American family now calling Johannesburg home has sent Mzansi into a frenzy after posting their first-ever Mageu taste test online.

The family, who document their life in South Africa on their Instagram page @blueprintsandbloodlines, tried both banana and strawberry flavours of the traditional fermented drink. The video, filmed in their Sandton home, had a light and playful energy, with the family pouring the drinks into glasses and encouraging each other to give it a fair shot.

The banana flavour was a firm no from the start. The strawberry fared slightly better, with one family member noting it was not as bad, though no one was reaching for a second glass. The mum summed it up simply: the hospital is probably the only place she could imagine wanting it.

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Mageu's name and origins spark the real debate

What really got South Africans talking, though, was the pronunciation. The family's attempt at saying "Mageu" had locals shaking their heads and laughing in the comments.

Beyond the laughs, many South Africans were quick to point out that Mageu is not something most people drink casually. The drink is a traditional fermented maize beverage with roots in African culture, and while some grew up with it, others said it was as foreign to their daily routine as it was to the American family tasting it.

South Africans react to the mageu moment

The comment section on the Facebook page became a lesson in culture, pronunciation, and gut health:

@saane_bhengu said:

"This is for when you're sick and struggling to eat lol! We don't drink it for fun 😂"

@roxanneclrss wrote:

"Oh no my lady.. I'm South African and I absolutely 💯 don't drink that stuff. That's like African, African.. Jacob Zuma Inkandla, Imbewu the wound African.. I drink horlicks and lucozade when I'm poorly my goodness.. and your pronunciation was as dodgy as the taste lol. Leave it alone!"

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@molleloa17 explained:

"Mageu is traditionally a fermented drink made from maize meal so it will have a bit of a sour taste to it because of the fermentation process. It's actually very good for your gut as it contains live probiotics and can help with digestion and balancing gut flora. But I understand that it can be an acquired taste, not for everyone."

@tsepiso_tshivhase offered a pronunciation guide:

"How can we send a voicenote of how you say it... Magggeu... ggg like something stuck in your throat...ggg."

Watch the full taste test here.

More on South African food and culture

• Briefly News recently reported that the American food creator Uncle Kent brought a full South African braai to his US home, complete with pap, braaibroodjies, malva pudding and koeksisters.
• Shaka iLembe actor Wiseman Mncube treated his wife, Nokubonga Ngobeni, to a romantic birthday dinner complete with flowers, a gift and a candlelit dessert.
• Woolworths is sourcing premium blueberries from Zimbabwe, with shoppers and industry workers weighing in on the quality of the fruit.

Source: Briefly News