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Peruvian

Chicha morada

Vegetarian

Peru's deep-purple soft drink: dried purple corn boiled with pineapple peel, apple, cinnamon and cloves, then sweetened and brightened with lime. Not fermented.

Chicha morada is a Peruvian cold drink, ready in about 3 hours and made with dried purple corn and lime juice. It serves 10 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Traditional chicha morada with purple corn, lime, and cinnamon on a rustic table.
Photo: Nano Erdozain / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
2 h
Total
3 h
Serves
10
Level
Easy
Calories
82

Ingredients

10 glasses

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the purple corn, pineapple (opens in a new tab) peel and core, quartered apple (opens in a new tab), cinnamon and cloves (opens in a new tab) into a large pot with the water.

  2. Step 2

    Bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, for about 45 minutes, until the kernels split and the liquid is a deep purple.

    • 45 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Strain through a sieve, discarding the solids. Stir in the sugar (opens in a new tab) while hot, then let cool.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    When cool, stir in the lime juice (opens in a new tab) (adding it hot dulls its flavour) and chill. Serve cold with diced apple (opens in a new tab) and ice.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Peru · Well documentedA traditional Andean drink; unlike fermented chicha de jora it contains no alcohol.Also popular in Bolivia, EcuadorMore food from Peru
Dish
Lunch · Snack · Cold drinks
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
fruity, aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet, tangy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Lime juice · Pineapple · Apple · Cinnamon stick · Cloves · Sugar
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

82 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 334 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 1%
  • Carbohydrate 98%
  • Fat 1%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy82 kcal25 kcal
Protein0.2 g0.1 g
Carbohydrate21.2 g6.4 g
Net carbohydrate20.6 g6.2 g
Sugars18.9 g5.7 g
Added sugars18 g5.4 g
Fibre0.6 g0.2 g
Fat0.1 g0 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium7 mg2 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
24 mg
Calcium
38 mg
Iron
0.1 mg
Magnesium
10 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
1 µg
Vitamin C
4 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
2 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: apple, ice.
  • Dried purple corn: Yellow corn grain (FDC 170288) used as a stand-in; in chicha morada the cobs are boiled and strained out, so little is consumed.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Re-boil the corn with a second, smaller batch of water for a lighter 'second' chicha, as many Peruvian cooks do.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the lime while the drink is hot.

Serve with

  • Drink with ceviche, lomo saltado or a Peruvian set lunch; the same base thickened with starch and dried fruit becomes mazamorra morada.

Food safety

  • Keep refrigerated; it can start to ferment within a day or two at room temperature.

Storage

  • Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

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