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Tejuino
Jalisco's lightly fermented masa and piloncillo drink with lime and salt
On hot afternoons in Guadalajara, vendors ladle tejuino from big clay pots into plastic bags or glasses with ice, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of salt and often a scoop of lime sorbet. It is made from corn masa cooked with piloncillo and left for two or three days to ferment a little, which gives it a tangy, slightly sour taste. The fermentation is light and the drink is sold as non-alcoholic, but a trace of alcohol can form, so keep the fermentation to 2 days and serve it well chilled. Skip the fermenting stage entirely for children: drink it fresh as a sweet atole-style cooler. Chef's tip: taste it each day; take it to the fridge as soon as it tastes pleasantly sour, like a mild yoghurt.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the tejuino
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz piloncillo or dark brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick (canela) and 1.5 litres of the 8 ¼ cups water in a large pot over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Whisk 7 oz masa harina into the remaining water until smooth, then pour it into the pot through a sieve, whisking constantly.
2 minStep 3: Simmer over a low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to the texture of a thin custard and no longer tastes of raw flour. Common mistake: not stirring; masa sinks and scorches quickly.
20 minStep 4: Cool completely, remove the cinnamon, pour into a large clean jar or glass bowl and cover loosely with a cloth.
60 minStep 5: Leave at cool room temperature for 1–2 days, stirring once a day, until it smells and tastes gently sour and slightly fizzy. Then chill it. (For an unfermented version, chill it straight away.)
Step 6: Stir well (it thickens as it sits) and thin with cold water if needed. Pour over 10 ½ oz ice cubes, add 3 limes and a pinch of ½ tsp salt to each glass, and top with 6 scoops lime sorbet if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tejuino take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 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.
- 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 piloncillo or dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
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