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Somó
Somó: cold spiced corn drink from Santa Cruz
Somó is how Santa Cruz cools down: big tubs of chilled, sweet, cinnamon-scented corn water sold in markets and at the door of lowland homes, with soft kernels of white corn floating in every glass to be eaten with a spoon. It is a simple drink, but it needs time, because the dried corn must soak and then simmer until each kernel bursts open. People often serve it before the kernels have fully opened, and then they are hard and chalky. Chef's tip: add a strip of orange peel with the spices for a fresher note, as some cruceño grandmothers do.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried white hominy corn (maíz pelado)soaked overnight
- 3 litres water
- 6 cloves
- 1 strip orange peel (optional)
- 6 ½ oz sugaror to taste
- 10 ½ oz ice cubes (optional)to serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz dried white hominy corn (maíz pelado), put it in a large pan with 3 litres water and bring to the boil.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves and 1 strip orange peel, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until most kernels have burst open like flowers and are soft right through, 1–1½ hours. Top up with hot water if it drops by more than a third.
80 minStep 3: Stir in 6 ½ oz sugar until dissolved, then leave to cool completely.
5 minStep 4: Chill for at least 3 hours. Remove the spices and serve cold over 10 ½ oz ice cubes, with a spoonful of kernels in each glass.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does somó take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 90 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?
- 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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Spanish