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Agua de chilacayote
Agua de chilacayote: strands of fig-leaf squash in a cold piloncillo and cinnamon water, sipped and spooned
When the big, mottled chilacayote squashes ripen at the end of the rains, cooks in Oaxaca's valleys and the Mixteca of Puebla turn them into a drink you eat with a spoon. The flesh is cooked with dark piloncillo and cinnamon until it falls into translucent threads, then cooled and loosened with water; in Oaxaca it is ladled out of clay jars at fairs, weddings and the Day of the Dead, often with a little pineapple. It tastes like cinnamon-scented panela, with soft, slightly crunchy strands that slide up the straw. The usual mistake is boiling it to mush; overcooked flesh goes cloudy and the strands disappear. Simmer gently and stop when the threads separate easily with a fork but still have a little bite. It is ready when the syrup is amber and the strands look glassy. Chilacayote is hard to find outside Mexico; spaghetti squash is the best substitute and gives the same threads. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Chef's tip: grate a little orange zest into the pot in the last minute to brighten the piloncillo.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the squash
- 2 ⅝ lb chilacayote (fig-leaf squash)1 small squash; or spaghetti squash
- 4 ¼ cups waterfor cooking
- 7 oz piloncilloor dark brown sugar
To finish
- 4 ¼ cups cold water
- 5 ½ oz pineapple, finely diced (optional)
- ½ tsp orange zest (optional)
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cut the 2 ⅝ lb chilacayote (fig-leaf squash) into quarters, scoop out and keep the seeds if you want to toast them for snacking, then cut the flesh into large chunks, leaving the skin on.
8 minStep 2: Put the chunks in a large pot with 4 ¼ cups water, 7 oz piloncillo and 2 cinnamon sticks (Mexican canela). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
8 minStep 3: Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the flesh pulls easily into strands with a fork and the liquid has turned amber.
30 minStep 4: Add ½ tsp orange zest if using and simmer one more minute. Turn off the heat and let everything cool in the pot.
5 minStep 5: Lift out the chunks, scrape the strands off the skin with a fork back into the syrup, and discard the skins and cinnamon.
5 minStep 6: Stir in 4 ¼ cups cold water and 5 ½ oz pineapple, finely diced if using. Taste: it should be gently sweet with a clear cinnamon note. Chill at least 2 hours.
2 minStep 7: Serve very cold over 12 ice cubes, with plenty of strands in each glass and a spoon. Keeps covered in the fridge for 3 days.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does agua de chilacayote take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon sticks (mexican canela)?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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