' or ' is a traditional hot beverage of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, made from ' (toasted barley flour) and ' (unrefined sugar) mixed with spices and combined with a liquid, usually milk. The term ' may also refer to the dry mix itself.

History

The invention of ' is attributed to Rafael Emilio Madrid of

Lima, Peru Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

. As the story goes, Madrid was inspired by watching laborers sucking on pieces of ', and decided to grind ' and mix it with ' and spices. The Madrid family's factory, built in the 1950s and located in San Rafael, Ecuador, originally used a millstone to manufacture its ' mix. As of 2009, the fourth generation of Madrid's family was still involved in producing ' mix. Despite its relatively recent mid-20th-century origin, ' is considered a traditional food. Another traditional product tasted was ', made with ', ', cinnamon and cloves, among other local ingredients."/ref>

Ingredients

Prepared pinol in two large mugs ready to drink

The mix sold for preparing the ' beverage consists of finely-ground ', a form of unrefined cane sugar; ', toasted barley flour; and ground spices, usually including

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

or ' (a native

Andean The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...

spice related to cinnamon),

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or Aroma compound, fragrance in fin ...

s and/or

peppercorn Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter (f ...

s. can be served as dessert beaten into warm milk."/ref> Some preparations of ' may also include

quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechuan languages, Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae, amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are high in prote ...

Preparation

' is usually prepared using milk or

soymilk Soy milk (or soymilk), also known as soya milk, is a plant-based milk produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original ...

, but water or fruit juice may also be used. The procedure is similar to that used to make

hot chocolate Hot Chocolate are a British soul band formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The group had at least one hit song every year on the UK Singles Chart from 1970 to 1984. Their hits include " You Sexy Thing", a UK number two which also made ...

from milk and cocoa powder rather than hot water and a mix.

Other uses

' mix can be used to make fruit smoothies or as an ingredient for custard or other desserts. It is sometimes also eaten with grated cheese, or by itself.

Availability

Ready-to-drink ' can be purchased at shops and ice cream parlors in , where it is consumed by both local residents and tourists. A number of manufacturers besides the company founded by Rafael Emilio Madrid now produce ' mix as well. Several brands are exported to other countries to serve Ecuadoran immigrant populations and other customers.

References

{{Barley Barley-based drinks Ecuadorian cuisine Latin American cuisine Non-alcoholic drinks