Peruvian Chicha Morada Recipe

Jun 22 2022

Learn to make chicha morada, the beautifully hued and traditional nonalcoholic cold drink from South America prepared from boiled corn and spices.

Ingredients

1
pound/about 450 grams dried Peruvian purple corn on the cob (approximately 4 medium-sized ears)
1
gallon/4 liters water
1
stick cinnamon (about 4 to 5 inches long)
6
whole cloves
½
cup white sugar
3
green apples (or crisp pears; can use yellow apples or pears)
4
key limes

Step 1
Gather the ingredients.
Step 2
Rinse the ears of purple corn under the faucet to remove any dust or foreign matter. Place the ears, plus any stray grains that may have fallen off, in a large pot together with the water, cinnamon, and cloves. Put the pot over high heat on the stove; once the water reaches the boiling point, reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow this to boil for about 50 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool down until safe to handle. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer into a pitcher, setting aside (not discarding) the solids. Add the sugar to the liquid and stir until it is completely dissolved. Taste, adding more sugar if desired, though this beverage is most refreshing when it is not overly sweet.
Step 4
Chill the chicha for 3 hours in the fridge. At this point, you can make another batch of the beverage, if desired, by adding more water to the pot with the reserved solids and repeating the entire process. When you see that nearly all of the grains of corn have broken open slightly, you will know that the corn has given up all of its flavors; until then, it can be reused in this way.
Step 5
Right before serving, chop the apples or pears into small cubes and juice the limes . Add diced fruit and lime juice to the chicha in the pitcher and stir. Serve as is or over ice, with a straw and a long spoon (for eating the fruit), if desired. Store any leftover chicha morada in the refrigerator.