A creamy Colombian liqueur of egg yolks, milk and aguardiente, poured through the December novenas. It descends from Italian zabaglione and is made above all in Boyacá, where roadside stalls sell it in reused bottles.
It is built on aguardiente, a distilled spirit that cannot be made without a licence, and the alcohol proportion is also the food-safety mechanism for a lightly cooked egg custard.
What goes into it
- egg yolks
- milk or cream
- sugar
- aguardiente
- cinnamon and vanilla
How it is made
Yolks are beaten with sugar and cooked gently with milk into a thin custard, then cooled and let down with aguardiente. The alcohol is what preserves it — the proportion has to be high enough to keep a raw-yolk custard stable, which is why commercial sabajón is stronger than it tastes.
How long it takes: made in an afternoon; keeps for weeks under refrigeration
How it is eaten
In small glasses through the December novenas, or poured over ice cream.
History
A local descendant of Italian zabaglione, made above all in Boyacá and drunk through the December novenas.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sabajón?
Sabajón is a wine & spirit from Colombia: creamy liqueur of egg yolks, milk and aguardiente, poured at Christmas. A local descendant of Italian zabaglione, made above all in Boyacá and drunk through the December novenas.
How is Sabajón made?
Yolks are beaten with sugar and cooked gently with milk into a thin custard, then cooled and let down with aguardiente. The alcohol is what preserves it — the proportion has to be high enough to keep a raw-yolk custard stable, which is why commercial sabajón is stronger than it tastes. It takes made in an afternoon; keeps for weeks under refrigeration.
Can I make Sabajón at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is built on aguardiente, a distilled spirit that cannot be made without a licence, and the alcohol proportion is also the food-safety mechanism for a lightly cooked egg custard.
What goes into Sabajón?
Egg yolks, milk or cream, sugar, aguardiente, cinnamon and vanilla.
How is Sabajón eaten?
In small glasses through the December novenas, or poured over ice cream.
