Some of Africa's most familiar drinks are connected to traditions that stretch back generations. Coffee is tied to Ethiopia's highland forests and elaborate social ceremonies, while rooibos has roots in South Africa's indigenous knowledge. Other drinks use fruits, grains and plants that have long been part of local food systems.

Here are 10 African drinks with histories that reach much further back than their modern commercial versions suggest.

1. Ethiopian Coffee

Coffee has an especially deep connection with Ethiopia.

The Kafa region is recognised by UNESCO as the birthplace of wild Arabica coffee and contains thousands of wild coffee varieties.

Coffee also became deeply connected to Ethiopian social life. UNESCO describes the traditional coffee ceremony as an age-old practice involving roasting, grinding, brewing and serving coffee to guests.

2. Rooibos

Rooibos comes from Aspalathus linearis, a plant that grows naturally in South Africa's Cederberg region.

The Khoisan were using the plant before rooibos became a commercial export. Commercial production developed during the early 20th century, transforming a locally known plant into an internationally recognised beverage.

Rooibos is technically an herbal infusion rather than tea from the traditional tea plant.

3. Baobab Drink

Baobab fruit has long been used in African food systems.

The dry pulp inside the fruit can be dissolved in water or milk to create a drink. FAO records traditional baobab beverages in different parts of Africa and identifies drinks among the many food uses of the fruit.

The same fruit is also used in porridges, sauces and other foods.

4. Tamarind Drink

Tamarind-based drinks have a long history in parts of Africa.

In Nigeria, researchers have documented traditional methods of producing beverages from locally grown tamarind fruit and described these processes as ancient practices.

The fruit's naturally sour pulp gives the drink its distinctive flavour.

5. Gnamakudji

Gnamakudji is a traditional ginger drink associated with Côte d'Ivoire.

West African communities have long used ginger as a beverage ingredient, and the drink is made from fresh ginger. An agricultural publication recorded gnamakudji as a locally prepared refreshing beverage in Côte d'Ivoire.

Its name and preparation are particularly associated with Ivorian food culture.

6. Bissap

Bissap is a widely known West African drink made from hibiscus calyces.

The plant used for the drink is Hibiscus sabdariffa, which has a long history of cultivation and use across tropical regions.

In Senegal and neighbouring countries, bissap has become a familiar part of everyday food culture and is recognised for its deep red colour and tart flavour.

7. Mageu

Mageu is a traditional Southern African fermented cereal drink made primarily from maize or sorghum.

The Codex Alimentarius documentation describes mageu as a popular traditional beverage in Southern Africa and notes that home production remains practiced in the region.

Its history is connected to the wider African tradition of fermenting cereal foods and beverages.

8. Tella

Tella is a traditional Ethiopian fermented beverage associated with household production and hospitality.

Research published through FAO's AGRIS database records tella as one of several traditional Ethiopian beverages made from locally available crops.

Barley is commonly used, although wheat, maize, sorghum and teff can also be used depending on the region.

9. Ginger Drinks Across West Africa

Ginger beverages are not confined to Côte d'Ivoire.

Agricultural literature records ginger being used as a beverage ingredient throughout West Africa. The exact names, ingredients and preparation methods vary between communities.

This makes ginger one of the more widely distributed traditional beverage ingredients in the region.

10. Baobab Seed Beverage

Baobab seeds have also been used to create drinks.

FAO documentation from southern Africa records seeds being roasted and ground into a coffee-like beverage.

This is separate from the more familiar drink made from baobab pulp and shows how different parts of the same African tree can enter traditional food systems.