Chicha morada
Chicha morada
Purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon, clove — Peru's cold jug, not an alcoholic chicha.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Chicha morada.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Chicha morada is a sweet-spiced drink of dried purple corn boiled with pineapple rind, apple, cinnamon and clove, then strained, sugared and chilled. It is not the fermented corn beer also called chicha. This is the family jug. The colour should be deep violet. Lime at the end. Boil dried purple corn with pineapple rind, apple chunks, cinnamon and clove until the liquid is deep violet and the fruit is spent. Strain, sweeten, chill, and finish with lime. It is a family jug, not the fermented corn beer that also uses the word chicha. The colour should be dark. Ice in the glass is normal. Keep the boiled fruit out of the final drink unless you like a cloudy glass.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer purple corn, pineapple peel, apple, cinnamon and cloves in water 40 minutes until the liquid is deep purple.
40 minStep 2
Strain. Stir in sugar while warm. Cool, then lime.
8 minStep 3
Chill 2 hours. Ice. It should taste of spice and fruit, not of cordial.
2 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Dried purple corn → Frozen maíz morado
Same pot. Often easier to find.
Tips
- No purple corn? A small handful of blackberries plus yellow corn is a pale stand-in. Say so. The real bag is in Latin grocers.
- Pineapple core is flavour, not waste.
History & culture
Everyday Peruvian cooler, from lunch tables to plastic bags on the street. The fermented one is a different drink with the same first name. Everyday Peruvian cooler, from lunch tables to plastic bags on the street. Kids drink it. It sits next to roast chicken and to ceviche as often as it sits alone. The fermented chicha is a different drink with the same first name; do not conflate them at a party.
Andean purple corn, colonial spice, fruit trimmings. A thrift drink that became a national glass. Andean purple maize, later cinnamon and clove, fruit trimmings as thrift. That is a pantry history, not a colonial toast. A sweet, spiced, unfermented corn drink became a national glass. You are boiling maize and aromatics, straining, and chilling. Name the lime at the end.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Chicha morada take?
2 hr 55 min all in — 10 min prep, 45 min cook, 2 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Dairy-free, Gluten-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
80 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Dried purple corn → Frozen maíz morado. Same pot. Often easier to find.
Any tips from this recipe?
No purple corn? A small handful of blackberries plus yellow corn is a pale stand-in. Say so. The real bag is in Latin grocers. Pineapple core is flavour, not waste.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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