Try them with other tropical fruit juices as well, such as pineapple or mango, or apple or pear.
Champus
Champus is a thick fruit drink popular in the southwestern regions of Colombia, as well as in Ecuador and Peru. Made with mote (hominy) and naranjilla juice, it is generally served cold as a dessert. Champus is sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with spices such as cinnamon, cloves and orange tree leaves. It sometimes contains other fruit, such as pineapple, quince or guanabana.
The naranjilla fruit, solanum quitoense (meaning “nightshade from Quito”), is the juice most popularly used in champus, however. It is endemic to southwestern South America. While called naranjilla in Ecuador, in Colombia it is referred to as lulo. It is most commonly served as a juice, which has a greenish appearance.
Ingredients:
- 12 cups water
- 1 lb. (500 grams) mote (hominy)
- 1 bar of brown sugar (about 1 cup, firmly packed)
- pulp of 10 naranjillas/lulos, peeled
- 1 pineapple, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 6 whole cloves
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 6 orange tree leaves
- crushed ice (for serving)
Preparation:
- Cook the mote in the water on medium heat for about an hour. (A pressure cooker can be used to speed up the process.) Once the mote is soft, remove one cup of it and grind it by hand on a cutting board with a large, clean rock or a heavy glass.
- Lower the heat and add the mashed mote to the pot again. Stir to mix well.
- Add the brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon and orange tree leaves to the corn mixture and stir.
- Meanwhile, by hand mash the pulp of the naranjillas/lulos and add it to the mixture on the stove, along with the pineapple.
- Stir well and let cook on low heat for about 3-5 minutes to blend the flavors. Turn off the oven and remove it from the heat.
- Let the champus cool. Before serving, remove the spices and add crushed ice.
Note: In some regions the champus is served warm.
Papaya and Rice Smoothie
If the rice mixture is made ahead of time, this thick smoothie can be whipped up in under five minutes!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup white rice, washed
- 5 cups water
- ½ cup papaya juice
- 1 lemon (or lime)
- brown sugar
- pinch of salt (optional)
Preparation:
- Boil the rice in the water until the grains are almost completely melted and the mixture forms a thick soup. Let cool and then strain.
- Mix the rice water with the papaya juice. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the mixture and add the sugar and salt. Stir well and serve cold, with a little zest of the lemon on top as garnish.
Kari Miller - Kari Miller is a teacher trainer, curriculum developer, and education consultant in Quito, Ecuador. Kari has a MALS (Master of Arts in ...
