The Zulu consider sorghum beer (utshwala) to be the food of ancestors. Because ancestors are drawn to quiet, dark spaces, vessels for serving beer are blackened to signify their ancestral association and to create an environment that is more accessible to ancestors. Serving beer to family and guests is a meaningful gesture of hospitality and spiritual connection that is enhanced by the use of beautiful containers. A variety of textured patterns ornament beer vessels and stand in strong contrast to their highly burnished surfaces.