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Sekai Gohan
Mocochinchi: Bolivian Dried Peach Drink with Caramel and Cinnamon
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dried whole peaches (mocochinchi) | 2.2 lb (1 kg) | The body of the drink, its sweetness and fruit aroma, and the peach eaten at the end |
| Water for soaking | As needed, enough to cover the peaches | Rehydrates the fruit overnight |
| Water for simmering | About 3¼ quarts (3 L) | Draws the flavor out of the peaches and becomes the drink |
| Sugar (azúcar) | 3 cups | Cooked into caramel for sweetness, color and a toasted note |
| Cinnamon stick (canela en rama) | 1 stick, optional | A warm spice aroma |
| Whole cloves (clavo de olor) | To taste, optional | A household variation with a deeper spice note |
| Ice | As needed | For serving |
Steps
1Rinse the dried peaches
Tip the dried peaches into a colander and set it in the sink. Run cold tap water over them, turning the fruit with your hands so the water reaches every fold of the wrinkled skin. Rub off any grit or dust caught in the creases. Stop when the water running off the fruit is clear.
2Soak the peaches overnight
Put the rinsed peaches in a large bowl. Pour in enough water to cover them completely, since any fruit sticking out stays hard. Leave them overnight, about 8 hours. The next morning the peaches are swollen and heavier, and their skins have lost their deep wrinkles.
3Simmer the peaches with cinnamon
Put the soaked peaches in the large pot with the 3¼ quarts (3 L) of water and add the cinnamon stick, if using. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat so the surface keeps a gentle bubble. Let it cook for about 2 hours. The liquid turns golden and smells of peach, and the fruit is ready when it is plump and soft all the way through.
4Cook the sugar to a semi-dark caramel
While the peaches finish simmering, put the sugar in a small heavy saucepan over the heat. Stir as it melts and starts to color, keeping it moving so it browns evenly. Take it off the heat when it reaches a semi-dark amber, with small bubbles across the surface. Go much darker and the drink turns bitter.
Stop the caramel a shade earlyCaramel keeps darkening from the heat of the pan after it leaves the burner. Pull it off just before it reaches the color you want, and it lands right on semi-dark.
5Pour the caramel into the pot and dissolve it
Carefully pour the hot caramel into the pot of soft peaches. It will hiss, steam and partly harden as it hits the liquid. Stir with a whisk, reaching across the bottom of the pot, until every bit of caramel has melted. The drink is ready when it is an even deep amber with no threads or lumps of sugar left on the whisk.
Hot caramelMolten caramel is far hotter than boiling water and sticks to skin. Pour it slowly, keep your face and hands back from the steam, and keep children away from the stove while you work.
6Cool completely and chill
Take the pot off the heat and let the drink cool. Fish out the cinnamon stick and any cloves. When it is fully cooled, ladle the liquid and peaches into a glass pitcher or covered container. Refrigerate it promptly, and serve when it is cold through.