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Umbuzada
Umbu and milk drink
Umbuzada: cooked umbu pulp blended with cold milk and sugar into the creamy, sweet-sour drink of the Brazilian backlands
The umbu tree is the pride of the sertão, the dry interior of Bahia, Pernambuco and Piauí: its swollen roots store water through the drought, and when the rains come between January and March it covers itself in small green-gold fruit. Families gather them by the sackful, and umbuzada, the fruit cooked and blended with milk and sugar, is drunk cold in the afternoon heat or eaten thick as a light supper. It tastes sharply sour and sweet at the same time, creamy and fruity, a little like a gooseberry milkshake. The common mistake is blending hot, acidic pulp with milk, which makes it curdle into grainy flecks. Cool the pulp completely, mix the sugar into the pulp before the milk goes in, and serve soon after blending. It is ready when it is smooth, pale yellow-green and coats the glass. Outside Brazil, look for frozen umbu pulp in Brazilian shops; failing that, use cajá (yellow mombin) pulp or tart green plums cooked the same way. Keep any leftovers in the fridge and drink within a day. Chef's tip: for the thick version eaten with a spoon, halve the milk and serve it in a bowl with a sprinkle of farinha or crushed cuscuz.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the drink
- 1 ⅛ lb ripe umbu fruitor 300 g frozen umbu pulp (skip the cooking); or cajá pulp or tart green plums
- 2 cups waterfor cooking
- 2 ⅞ oz sugaror grated rapadura
- 2 ½ cups whole milk, very cold
To serve
- 8 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ⅛ lb ripe umbu fruit and put it in a pan with 2 cups water. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until the skins split and the flesh is soft.
15 minStep 2: Drain, keeping 100 ml of the cooking water, and leave the fruit to cool completely, about 20 minutes; it must not be warm.
20 minStep 3: Press the fruit through a sieve with a spoon, scraping the pulp from underneath; discard skins and stones. Loosen with a little of the reserved water if very thick.
5 minStep 4: Stir 2 ⅞ oz sugar into the pulp until it dissolves.
1 minStep 5: Put the pulp in a blender, add 2 ½ cups whole milk, very cold and blend for 15–20 seconds, until smooth and pale yellow-green.
1 minStep 6: Pour over 8 ice cubes and serve straight away; it thickens and sharpens as it stands.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does umbuzada take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk, very cold?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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