Guatemalan Carao Pod Cooler

Fresco de carao is a cold Central American drink made from the pulp of the carao pod, a dark, dense pod, also present in Guatemalan cuisine.

It’s a drink shared across the Central American region, with a characteristic sweet, earthy flavor, valued for its nutritional content.

Guatemalan Carao Pod Cooler

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• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Beverage
• Cuisine: Guatemalan

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 pod of carao
• 6 cups of water
• 1 of cinnamon stick
• to taste of sugar
• to taste of ice

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Instructions

1. Extract the pulp, break open the carao pod and extract the dark pulp inside.
2. Soak, soak the pulp in the water together with the cinnamon for 30 minutes.
3. Blend, blend the mixture until the pulp fully dissolves.
4. Strain, strain the mixture to remove seeds and fibers.
5. Sweeten, add sugar to taste and mix well.
6. Chill, refrigerate.
7. Serve, serve very cold, with ice.

Tips for getting it right

• Extracting the dark pulp from the carao pod well is key to achieving this drink’s characteristic flavor.
• Straining the mixture well is important to remove the carao’s hard seeds and fibers.
• It’s a drink shared with other Central American countries, especially El Salvador, not exclusive to one country.
• Carao’s earthy, sweet flavor can be intense; adjust the sugar to taste.

Traditional variations

• It’s a shared Central American drink, also present in Salvadoran and other neighboring cuisines.
• Some families add milk for a creamier version.

How to serve

Fresco de carao is served very cold, in a glass, with ice.

It’s a traditional Central American drink, present in Guatemala and neighboring countries.

Recommended sides

• None, enjoyed on its own

Did you know?

Carao is a dense, dark pod, valued in the region for its high nutritional content, including iron.

It’s a drink shared across several Central American countries, with a particularly notable presence in El Salvador.