Ingredients
The base
- 200 gpearl barley
- or 150 g rice flour
- 1.5 litreswater
To finish
- 500 mlwhole milk
- 200 gsugar, or to taste
- 2cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoonvanilla
- a pinch of salt
To colour
- red or pink food colouring
- a few drops only
To serve
- plenty of ice
- ground cinnamon, to dust
- tall glasses
Directions
- Rinse the pearl barley and drain it well. Dry it thoroughly on a clean cloth. Heat a heavy dry pan over a medium heat. Add the barley in a single layer.
- Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon. Never leave it unattended for a moment. Take it off before any grains blacken. Tip the barley out onto a tray to cool. Let it cool completely before grinding.
- Warm grain clogs up a grinder. Grind it as finely as you can. Sieve it and regrind the coarse bits. Mix the ground barley with cold water first. Make a smooth slurry with no lumps. Bring the rest of the water to a boil. Add the cinnamon sticks to it.
- Pour the slurry in while stirring hard. Let it cook for about twenty-five minutes. Stir it regularly so it does not catch. Pour it through a fine sieve into a jug.
- Press the solids against the mesh. Discard the grain left behind. Line the sieve with muslin for a smoother drink. Add the milk to the strained liquid. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add the ground cinnamon and vanilla. Add the pinch of salt as well. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be gently sweet and cinnamony. Add a few drops of pink colouring. Stir it through until evenly pink. Add it in just one drop at a time. Refrigerate it for at least three hours.
- Add milk or water if it goes too thick. Serving it is done cold over ice. Stir it well before pouring it out. Fill tall glasses with plenty of ice. Pour the fresco over all the ice. Dust ground cinnamon over the top. It keeps three days refrigerated. Stir it each time before pouring.
Technique
- The bright pink comes from food colouring and has no flavour purpose at all, being purely decorative, though it is how the drink is recognised.
- Cebada means barley, and barley is the traditional base, though many stalls now use rice flour or a commercial powdered mix while keeping the name.
- The barley is toasted before grinding, which is what gives the drink its flavour, on the same principle as pinolillo and horchata.
Substitutions
- Rice flour stands in for barley and is what many stalls now use.
- The colouring can be left out entirely, which changes nothing but the look.
Variations
- Some households leave it uncoloured and pale.
- A version made with more milk is richer and creamier.
- Pinolillo and horchata are the other great Nicaraguan grain drinks.
History
Ladled from glass jars at Nicaraguan market stalls and coloured a bright pink that has no flavour purpose.
Frequently asked questions
What is Fresco de cebada?
Fresco de cebada is a drink from Nicaragua: pink cooler of toasted barley or rice flour with milk and cinnamon. Ladled from glass jars at Nicaraguan market stalls and coloured a bright pink that has no flavour purpose.
How long does Fresco de cebada take to make?
Fresco de cebada takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Fresco de cebada?
Yes, within limits. Rice flour stands in for barley and is what many stalls now use. The colouring can be left out entirely, which changes nothing but the look.
What is the most important thing to get right in Fresco de cebada?
Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon. Never leave it unattended for a moment. Take it off before any grains blacken. Tip the barley out onto a tray to cool. Let it cool completely before grinding.
