Masato

Ingredients

• 300 gwhite rice
• 2.5 litreswater
• 250 gpanela, chopped, or dark brown sugar
• 2cinnamon sticks
• 6cloves
• peel of 1 lime, in strips
• a pinch of salt

Directions

1. Rinse the rice, then simmer it in the water with the cinnamon, cloves and lime peel for 30 to 40 minutes, until the grains have burst and the liquid is thick and starchy.
2. Take it off the heat, stir in the panela and salt until dissolved, and leave to cool to room temperature. It must be properly cool before the next step.
3. Blend the mixture smooth, then pass it through a sieve, pressing hard. Add water if it is thicker than double cream.
4. Pour into a clean jug or a wide jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for one to two days. It will smell sweet-sour and may fizz faintly at the surface.
5. Taste after 24 hours. When it is pleasantly tart but still sweet, refrigerate to stop it going further.
6. Serve very cold, stirred, with a little ground cinnamon over the top.

Technique

• Cover with cloth, never a sealed lid. A closed jar builds pressure as the ferment works.
• This is a short, gentle ferment — a day or two, like a kvass — and the result is barely alcoholic. Left a week in a warm room it keeps going and becomes something else; refrigerate once it tastes right.
• It separates on standing. That is normal; stir before pouring.

Substitutions

• Maize instead of rice makes the older version and a closer relative of chicha.
• Panela can be replaced with dark brown sugar, though it loses the molasses depth.

Variations

• Sold from jugs at markets in Cundinamarca and Boyacá, poured over ice and often with a spoon left in it, since the settled rice at the bottom is part of the drink.
• The Amazonian masato of Peru is a different and stronger drink, traditionally made from cassava.

History

Sold from jugs at markets and roadside stalls in Cundinamarca and Boyacá; older maize versions are close relatives of chicha.

Frequently asked questions

What is Masato?

Masato is a drink from Colombia: lightly fermented rice or maize drink sweetened with panela and cinnamon, served cold. Sold from jugs at markets and roadside stalls in Cundinamarca and Boyacá; older maize versions are close relatives of chicha.

How long does Masato take to make?

Masato takes 20 min plus 2 days fermenting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Masato?

Yes, within limits. Maize instead of rice makes the older version and a closer relative of chicha. Panela can be replaced with dark brown sugar, though it loses the molasses depth.

What is the most important thing to get right in Masato?

Take it off the heat, stir in the panela and salt until dissolved, and leave to cool to room temperature. It must be properly cool before the next step.