Cheka is a cereal and vegetable-based beverage which is commonly consumed in Southwesternrnparts of Ethiopia. A study of indigenous processing techniques and raw materials used for thernproduction of cheka was carried out using an open-ended interview questionnaire. In this study,rnthe traditional processing methods, types and proportions of ingredients, equipments, sources ofrnenergy, economic, socio-cultural and nutritional importance of cheka were described. Moreover,rnnine cheka samples were collected purposively from vending houses in Konso and Dirasherndistricts for the analysis of their nutritional and alcohol contents. Three of samples (coded K1,rnK2, and K3) were collected from Karat in Konso which were prepared mainly from yellowrnmaize and were fermented for 31/2 days. The remaining six samples were collected from Gidolernand Shelele villages in Dirashe district. These samples were prepared from a mixture of maize,rnsorghum and leafy vegetables such as moringa and leaf cabbage. Samples from Gidole (codedrnG1, G2, and G3) were fermented for about 7 days, whereas samples from Shelele werernfermented at least for a month. One sample was prepared in the laboratory by the investigatorrnfollowing the Konso cheka preparation method.rnIn the study areas, maize, sorghum and vegetables such as cabbage, moringa, decne and tarornwere reported to be utilized for cheka preparation. Informants described the characteristics ofrnquality cheka as thick, smooth, effervescent, foamy, and bitter in taste. The processing methodsrnas well as the raw materials utilized and their proportions seem to vary between localities. Sincernthe present study was the first of its kind, flow charts which shows the processing operationsrninvolved in cheka fermentation were constructed that might be used by those who want to scaleuprnthe cheka processing in the future.rnThe pH and titratable acidity of the samples ranged from 3.53-3.99 and 0.80-1.11%, respectivelyrnwith samples from Karat being the lowest in pH and the highest in titratable acidity. The totalrnsolids content of cheka samples varied between 21.05% (G2) and 26.87% (S3). The crudernprotein, crude fat, crude fibre, total ash, carbohydrate, and gross energy contents of the samplesrnranged from 3.12-4.44g/100g, 1.17-1.81g/100g, 0.94-1.27g/100g, 0.65-0.93g/100g, 14.16-rn19.03g/100g, and 82.04-107.17Kcal, respectively. Samples from Karat had better fat,rncarbohydrate, and energy content, whereas samples from Dirashe had high protein and crudernfiber. The dietary Ca, Fe, and Zn content of the samples were ranged from 8.31-19.60mg/100g,rnxrn13.94-27.59mg/100g and 0.82-1.07mg/100g, respectively. Samples from Konso were relativelyrngood in their zinc content; however, they were lower in their Ca and Fe contents than samplesrnfrom Dirashe. The methanol and ethanol contents of the cheka samples ranged from 0.0163.1-rn0.2380% and 3.04-8.96%v/v. One of the samples from Shelele (S1) had considerably highrnmethanol (0.2385%v/v) content and was followed by sample K1 (0.163%v/v) from Karat andrnsample S2(0.1361%v/v) from Shelele. Samples from Karat had relatively high ethanol contentrn(up to 8.96%v/v) followed by samples from Shelele (up to 8.02%v/v). The cheka sample preparedrnin the laboratory contained nutrient and alcohol contents comparable with some of the collectedrnsamples. The findings of this study indicated that cheka has low nutrient content and thus,rnsuggests that people in Konso and Dirashe should not rely on it without eating solid foods as it isrnalmost always diluted with significant amount of water. In conclusion, the longer fermentationrntime of cheka resulted in high methanol levels that can present adverse health effects tornconsumers.