Ingredients
Drink
- 250 gdried white maize
- 2 litreswater
- 60 gfresh ginger, sliced
- 2 tbspcacao nibs, or 30 g pure cacao
- 4allspice berries
- 2cloves
- 1cinnamon stick
- a pinch of salt
To serve
- nuegados
- plantains in syrup
- panela on the side
Directions
- Toast the dried maize in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, shaking it, until it colours and smells nutty. Untoasted, chilate tastes raw and thin.
- Toast the cacao alongside it for the last 3 minutes only, since it burns much faster than the corn.
- Soak the toasted maize in water overnight, then drain it.
- Grind the maize, cacao, ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon together with a little water into a smooth paste, on a metate traditionally or in a blender.
- Whisk the paste into the 2 litres of water, then strain it through a fine sieve, pressing hard, and discard the solids.
- Bring it to the boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for 20 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Stir the whole time. Maize starch settles to the bottom and catches the moment your attention goes elsewhere.
- Add the salt and nothing else. Chilate is served unsweetened, and that is the point of it: the sweetness comes from what is eaten alongside rather than from the cup.
- Serve hot in clay cups with nuegados and plantains in syrup beside it, and panela on the table for anyone who insists.
Technique
- The ginger should be assertive enough to catch the back of the throat. This is not a subtle drink.
- It has Pipil roots and belongs to eastern and central El Salvador, where it is poured at fiestas.
- Unsweetened is not an omission. Sweetening the cup collapses the contrast with the syrupy sweets it is served with.
Substitutions
- Masa harina, which skips the soaking and grinding but loses the toasted note entirely.
- Ground cacao or a bar of unsweetened chocolate in place of nibs.
Variations
- Without cacao, which is the plainer everyday version.
- With considerably more ginger, as it is served at fiestas.
- The Mexican chilate of Guerrero, which is related, sweeter, and often served cold.
History
A Pipil-rooted maize drink of eastern and central El Salvador, poured at fiestas and always paired with nuegados and plantain in syrup.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chilate?
Chilate is a drink from El Salvador: unsweetened maize and ginger drink with cacao, served hot with sweets. A Pipil-rooted maize drink of eastern and central El Salvador, poured at fiestas and always paired with nuegados and plantain in syrup.
How long does Chilate take to make?
Chilate takes 20 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 cups. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Chilate?
Yes, within limits. Masa harina, which skips the soaking and grinding but loses the toasted note entirely. Ground cacao or a bar of unsweetened chocolate in place of nibs.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chilate?
Stir the whole time. Maize starch settles to the bottom and catches the moment your attention goes elsewhere.
