Cusco white chicha, or quinoa chicha, is a traditional Cusco drink of quinoa, white corn, and fava beans blended and boiled with spices, sweetened with fruit and sugar, and lightly fermented overnight.
This recipe is the Cusco variant, different from the white corn chicha of other regions of Peru.
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Peruvian White Chicha
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 glasses
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients
- 50 g dried fava beans, soaked and peeled
- 100 g soaked quinoa
- 50 g soaked white corn
- 5½ liters of water (1 L for blending, 3 L for boiling, and 1½ L for the infusion)
- Herbs: fennel, chamomile, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemongrass, as needed
- Cinnamon sticks and cloves, as needed
- 4 star anise
- ½ pineapple
- 1 red apple
- 1 green apple
- Sugar, to taste
- 100 g wheat flour
- 10 g powdered yeast
- Ground cinnamon
Preparation
- Blend the grains, blend the fava beans, quinoa, and corn with 1 liter of water for 3 minutes.
- Cook the base, in a large pot boil 3 liters of water with fennel, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves; add the blended mixture and stir constantly for 20 to 30 minutes, since it rises as it boils. If it still has foam, cook 15 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let it cool at room temperature, without refrigerating.
- Activate the yeast, dissolve the yeast in a little of the cooled chicha and let it rest 5 minutes in a tall glass, since it gains volume.
- Strain and add the fruit, strain the chicha through a fine cloth into another pot, add the yeast and the sugar, blend the pineapple and apples with the strained chicha, and strain again.
- Make the thickened infusion, separately, put the fennel, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomile, and lemongrass in 1½ liters of water; remove the herbs, add the flour dissolved in a little cold water, cook for a few minutes, and let cool.
- Rest and serve, strain this aromatic mixture into the chicha and let it rest overnight. Blend and serve with ground cinnamon.
Tips
- Soak the fava beans and corn ahead of time and peel the fava beans.
- Stir constantly while it boils, since the mixture rises.
- Let the base cool at room temperature before adding the yeast.
Traditional variations
- There are many ways to make it in Cusco; some families ferment quinoa chicha with chicha de jora instead of yeast.
How to serve
Serve the white chicha cool, blended until foamy, with ground cinnamon on top.
Recommended pairings
- Chiriuchu
- Chuta bread
Did you know?
In Cusco, white chicha is made with quinoa and served alongside frutillada and chicha de jora.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quinoa, white corn, and dried fava beans, aromatic herbs, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, pineapple and apples, sugar, wheat flour, and yeast.
Overnight, after adding the herb infusion thickened with flour.
No, it cools at room temperature before the yeast is added.
