Living in a city with thousands of different cultures pouring in from all different directions, it’s quite easy to forget about your own. My favorite way of reminding me of my culture is by drinking a tall, ice-cold glass of Chicha Morada! What is Chicha Morada? It’s a traditional purple corn drink that originated from the Andean regions in Peru! It’s a perfect pick me up, packed with delicious and sweet flavors of fruit, spices, and hints of nuts!
What you’ll need:
- 1 Lb of Purple corn
- Apple (to taste)
- Pineapple (to taste)
- Cinnamon stick (to taste)
- Cloves (to taste)
- Lime (to taste)
- Sugar (to your liking)
- 1 cup of chopped apples
- 5 liters of water
Directions:
In a large pot, pour in your water, purple corn, apple, pineapple, cinnamon and cloves! Allow to boil over high heat, for about 10 minutes then bring to a simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat and strain to remove corn, fruits, and spices into a jar. Stir in your limes, sugar, and chopped apples! Allow to cool in refrigerator. Serve over ice!
While Chicha does bring me back to my roots, it also reminds me of the wonderful memories I had with it! Memories of warm cinnamon apples filling my nose on early Sunday mornings, the sound of cultural music playing in the background, and the sound of my mothers soft voice singing along. I would walk to the kitchen eagerly waiting for my mom to allow me to taste test, in case we were missing more limes or sugar. I remember visiting different Peruvian restaurants and always comparing each glass to its previous with my father. Silly little laughs at our purple-stained lips and Chicha mustaches always brought a smile to my face. So while Chicha might be a traditional beverage originating from Peru, to me it’s so much more. Each sip reminds me of the highlights of my childhood.
This is bomb, it very well written you can smell, taste and hear every thing you were describing in the recipe. You perfectly grabbed the readers attention by saying where you are from, it’s very connecting as a person that is also from the same place. But I wouldn’t know for you but this almost sounds like a luxury for me to try. It’s so appealing, and sounds soooooo good, I will need to try this some time in the future.
I really enjoyed hearing your perspective on chicha morada. As a Peruvian myself, your descriptions are spot on and the purple mustaches are so relatable. I believe you did justice in describing how it is like to grow up with Peruvian heritage and the traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. The voice you use within your writing also adds a uniqueness making it genuinely fun to read. Great job!
You make a great use of descriptive words and imagery to help the reader paint a picture of what is happening. Your ability to use your food as a bridge to help your readers explore Peru and actually imagine what you’d be seeing. World building is an impressive skill that allows people to become more entrenched in your story, and you have been able to master it. Furthermore you are also able to stick to the theme of Chica Morada and still are able to tie it back to your setting.
Great writing–thanks for sharing with the class!