FOOD NEWS
One Peruvian Drink Uses Purple Corn As An Ingredient
By Chandler Phillips
In the Andean region of Peru, purple maize was made into a traditional fermented beverage and incorporated into various religious and political ceremonies by pre-Incan civilizations. The sacred drink remains an icon of Peruvian indigenous identity today.
Chicha is the general term for the corn-based drink, and in pre-colonial societies, it was used to pay respect to the ancestors, strengthen social ties, and reaffirm social hierarchies. During colonization, chicha consumption was restricted to undermine indigenous religious and cultural traditions, and today it is a symbol of decolonization and indigenous identity.
Most traditionally, chicha is made by chewing maize and spitting it back out into a container, then brewed, strained, and left to ferment to make Peruvian purple corn beer. More contemporary methods require brewing corn flour with additional ingredients or even using ready-mix powders and syrups.