Chichas are a wide-ranging product of the South American corn belt, spanning from Nicaragua’s cold-brewed, banana-flavored chicha de maiz to Chilean apple and Bolivian amaranth varieties; the only real defining standard is maize as a primary ingredient. The morada style is most identified with Peru, where Andean corn culture has also produced the fermented chicha de jora and other styles produced from quinoa, molle seeds and chickpeas. Classic chicha morada is created by simmering purple corn (another exception to the ‘purple-is-poison’ rule, a regional staple which doubles as a dye source) in a broth of cinnamon, cloves and pineapple juice, which grants it a slightly acidic sweetness (lovely little illustrations of these items are pictured on the bottle, along with some imposter apples and pears). Inca’s take on morada does notably improve when mixed with seltzer, and I should note that I’ve had better luck with the company’s other products, specifically their jarred aji sauces, not to mention their fantastic website, which also features a few other as-yet-untried chicha varieties.
Chichas are a wide-ranging product of the South American corn belt, spanning from Nicaragua’s cold-brewed, banana-flavored chicha de maiz to Chilean apple and Bolivian amaranth varieties; the only real defining standard is maize as a primary ingredient. The morada style is most identified with Peru, where Andean corn culture has also produced the fermented chicha de jora and other styles produced from quinoa, molle seeds and chickpeas. Classic chicha morada is created by simmering purple corn (another exception to the ‘purple-is-poison’ rule, a regional staple which doubles as a dye source) in a broth of cinnamon, cloves and pineapple juice, which grants it a slightly acidic sweetness (lovely little illustrations of these items are pictured on the bottle, along with some imposter apples and pears). Inca’s take on morada does notably improve when mixed with seltzer, and I should note that I’ve had better luck with the company’s other products, specifically their jarred aji sauces, not to mention their fantastic website, which also features a few other as-yet-untried chicha varieties.
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