Grocery Ninja: Chicha Morada, Peruvian Purple Corn Drink
The Grocery Ninja leaves no aisle unexplored, no jar unopened, no produce untasted. Creep along with her below, and read all her mission reports here.
The Russian housemate adores mulled cider. This wouldn’t be a problem except, come fall, my usually easy-going housemate morphs into a mulled cider dictator and gets monopolistic about fridge space – insisting that there is no room for any other kind of beverage. No oj, no soy milk, no nothing save for yet another jug of mulled cider. And while I used to love the stuff, palate fatigue is real… and I have no use for it on my cereal.
Hence, this year, us housemates are plotting an intervention: employing the logic of gradually weaning smokers off cigarettes with nicotine gum, we’re going to wean said housemate off mulled cider by tempting him with something different. We’re going to supply him with a fling. Thus far, our research is complete and our kitchen experiments are well on their way to success. We believe we have found a Jezebel to charm the pants off a dedicated mulled cider man.
As with most solutions to modern day pickles, we found our answer by reaching back in history. Originating from the Incas, chicha morada is a sweet, refreshing beverage made from purple corn or maiz morado. Everyone has a slightly different recipe for making the drink, but the basic formula involves simmering purple corncobs with pineapple rinds (how economical!), cinnamon, cloves, and lime juice. Some cooks like to add apples and quinces to the mix, but that, to my mind, is gilding the lily.
Chicha morada served warm is comforting and complex – giddy with spice notes and tropical sunshine. Served cold, chicha morada is muted, elegant, and would not be out of place in a crystal goblet (despite its ready availability on the streets of Latin America). Corn-loathers will be pleased to know that any corn flavor there is is subtle, and most people (myself included) would scant notice it.
Beyond taste, there are claims that a diet rich in chicha, ceviche, and a green Peruvian hot sauce called aji is a cure-all and will keep one hale and hearty for life. While that may be debatable, studies have shown that purple corn is rich in anthocyanins and has greater antioxidant capacity than blueberries. Lab tests have also shown positive results for blue corn’s anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-cancer properties.
There are companies that bottle chicha morada and sell it powdered in handy sachets. But I’ve heard they aren’t a patch on the homemade stuff. Dried purple corncobs are available at Hispanic groceries; I suspect canned pineapples make an adequate substitute for pineapple rind. Weaning someone off a much-loved food item is a slow process, but us housemates are hopeful. And, with palates inundated with too much mulled cider, we unanimously agree: chicha morada kicks mulled cider ass.
About the author: Wan Yan Ling can usually be found in the kitchen procrastinating on "real work" or online tracking down obscure recipes. Ling thinks eating alone is no fun, and she still believes in hand-mixing.
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9 Comments:
I'd love to try some of that! I don't know of any places here in Ontario that would have it however - I'll have to do some hunting!
Lilartist at 12:21PM on 11/11/08
I haven't tried a canned version, but had it in Peru this summer and it was fantastic!
nalega at 12:36PM on 11/11/08
I have seen these purple corn cobs and wondered what I could do with them ... now I know!
KarynMC at 3:59PM on 11/11/08
coooooooooool, wish i could get some in korea! have to wait until i get home!
downhillguru at 6:32PM on 11/12/08
I had a bottled version of this from a local grocery/farmer's market, and it was disgusting. Tasted like fermented corn and cloves.
jayevee at 4:54PM on 11/13/08
oh man, at first i thought the pic was some weird looking berries. i'm allergic to corn - that drink could probably kill me :(
starbreiz at 8:31PM on 11/13/08
I've had the powdered stuff--my friend's grandmother brought it from Peru--and it's really good. I'd love to try the homemade stuff, though.
buffy at 12:10AM on 11/14/08
Thanks for the information. I followed the links to posted and ended up in an herbal site with a great recipe for purple corn drink. I just made it yesterday and was terrific!!! Thought I'll share my comments. Again thanks :)
alessa at 4:18PM on 12/29/08
cool article!
as a chef in san francisco, i am exposed to several ethnic cuisines, i must say though, that although i was bon in peru, i never expected to be cooking peruvian cuisine in san francisco, your article, reminded me of my first steps into cooking peruvian food: i started with the easy stuff first. If you like "chicha morada", you should try the next logical step: "mazamorra morada". it is a sweet, delicious pudding-like dessert made of the purple corn broth.
chef alex at 9:09PM on 03/10/09