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Chicheme
Cold cracked corn drink
Chicheme: Panama's cold cracked-corn drink with cinnamon and vanilla
Chicheme comes from La Chorrera, just west of Panama City, where it is sold by the glass at the town's fairs alongside bollos and chorizo, and it is now drunk all over the country on hot afternoons. Cracked white corn is cooked until soft and swollen, then mixed with sweetened milk, cinnamon and vanilla and served very cold, so every sip has chewy grains in it. Undercooked corn is the classic mistake; the kernels must be soft right through or the drink feels gritty. Chef's tip: soak the corn overnight, and it cooks in under an hour instead of two.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 7 oz cracked dried white corn (maíz pilado)soaked overnight
- 1.5 litres water
- 3 cloves
- 1 ¾ cups evaporated milk
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamonto dust
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz cracked dried white corn (maíz pilado) and simmer it with 1.5 litres water, 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 cloves, partly covered, stirring now and then, until the grains are soft and swollen and some have burst.
50 minStep 2: Remove the cinnamon and cloves and cool completely.
Step 3: Stir in 1 ¾ cups evaporated milk, ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Add cold water if it is too thick to drink through a wide straw.
Step 4: Chill for at least 2 hours and serve over ice, dusted with ¼ tsp ground cinnamon. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicheme take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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