Tiste is a traditional Mesoamerican and Central American drink made with corn and cacao, with variants in several countries of the region. This recipe follows a traditional Guatemalan version.
In Costa Rica it has traditionally been consumed at religious and patron saint festivals, with a history spanning several centuries in the region.
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Costa Rican Tiste Drink
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 liter
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients
For the tiste powder
- 1/2 pound of white corn
- 1/2 pound of cacao beans
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cloves
For the drink
- 1/2 cup of tiste powder
- 1 liter of water
- Sugar, to taste
- Ice, to taste
Preparation
- Toast the corn, toast the white corn in a skillet for 20 minutes, until evenly browned, and clean it.
- Toast the cacao, in another skillet, toast the cacao beans for 10 minutes, then peel them.
- Grind, grind the toasted corn, peeled cacao, cloves, and cinnamon together until you get a fine powder.
- Dissolve, dissolve 1/2 cup of the tiste powder in 1 liter of water.
- Sweeten, add sugar to taste and ice, and mix well.
- Serve, serve right away and store the remaining powder in an airtight container.
Tips for getting it right
- The higher proportion of cacao relative to corn is what sets tiste apart from pinolillo, giving it a more chocolatey flavor.
- Peeling the cacao beans after toasting makes them easier to grind with the rest of the ingredients.
- Tiste powder can be made in bulk and stored in an airtight container for several days.
- There’s a variant that uses leftover corn tortillas from the previous day ground together with the cacao, instead of raw toasted corn.
Traditional variations
- It has been consumed in Costa Rica at religious and patron saint festivals for several centuries.
- In some preparations, the toasted corn is replaced with leftover corn tortillas from the day before.
How to serve
Tiste is served hot or cold, in a glass or mug, depending on the occasion.
It’s a traditional drink associated with religious and patron saint celebrations in Costa Rica and other Central American countries.
Recommended sides
- Rosquillas (corn rings)
- Homemade bread
Did you know?
Tiste differs from pinolillo by having a notably higher proportion of cacao, giving it a more chocolatey flavor.
There’s a traditional variant that replaces raw toasted corn with leftover corn tortillas from the previous day, ground together with the cacao.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a Central American toasted corn and cacao drink, with a higher proportion of cacao than pinolillo, giving it a more chocolatey flavor.
Tiste has a notably higher proportion of cacao than pinolillo, resulting in a more intense, chocolatey flavor.
Yes, some traditional preparations use leftover corn tortillas from the day before, ground together with the cacao, instead of raw toasted corn.
It has traditionally been consumed at religious and patron saint festivals in Costa Rica and other Central American countries.
