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Emoliente
Emoliente: the hot barley, flaxseed and herb drink sold from Peru's street carts
Before dawn, all over Peru, emolienteros set up their carts with a row of steaming kettles and jars of herbs, and commuters stop for a glass of emoliente on the way to work. It's a hot infusion of toasted barley, flaxseed and herbs, with lime juice and sugar added to order, and it is drunk for comfort and digestion, especially in Lima's damp winter. The flaxseed gives it a slippery, soothing body; the barley a toasty, almost coffee-like note. Street versions use horsetail, alfalfa, boldo and other herbs; this home version keeps it simple, with horsetail as an option (leave it out if you are pregnant or have kidney problems). The usual error is boiling the flax too long, which makes the drink gloopy; add it for the last 10 minutes only. Serve very hot in glasses, with pan con queso or a sandwich. Barley contains gluten. Chef's tip: toast the barley yourself until it is deep brown; it's what gives emoliente its colour and its roasted flavour.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 2 ⅞ oz pearl barley in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking often, until deep brown and smelling like coffee, 8–10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Put the barley, 8 ¼ cups water and 1 cinnamon stick in a pot and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until the liquid turns golden brown.
15 minStep 3: Add 2 tbsp flaxseed and 1 tbsp dried horsetail and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the liquid feels slightly silky between your fingers.
10 minStep 4: Strain into a heatproof jug. Stir in 2 ⅞ oz sugar until dissolved, then ¼ cup lime juice, and taste for balance.
Step 5: Serve very hot in glasses.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does emoliente take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 35 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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Spanish