' or ' is a traditional hot beverage of

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

, made from ' (toasted barley flour) and ' (unrefined sugar) mixed with spices and combined with liquid, usually milk. The term ' may also refer to the dry mix itself.

History

The invention of ' is attributed to Rafael Emilio Madrid of

Salcedo, Ecuador San Miguel de Salcedo (better known as Salcedo) is a city in Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. It is the capital of Salcedo Canton Salcedo is a canton in the Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. in 2014 it had a population of 70,000. The capital of the canton ...

. As the story goes, Madrid was inspired by watching laborers sucking on pieces of ', and decided to grind ' and mix it with ' and spices. The Madrid family's factory, built in the 1950s and located in , Ecuador, originally used a millstone to manufacture its ' mix. As of 2009, a fourth generation of Madrid's family was still involved in producing ' mix. Despite its relatively recent mid-20th-century origin, ' is considered a traditional food. Another traditional product tasted was ', made with ', ', cinnamon and cloves, among other local ingredients."/ref>

Ingredients

Prepared pinol in two large mugs ready to drink

The mix sold for preparing the ' beverage consists of finely-ground ', a form of unrefined cane sugar; ', toasted barley flour; and ground spices, usually including

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

or ' (a native Andean spice related to cinnamon),

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...

s and/or peppercorns. can be served as dessert beaten into warm milk."/ref> Some preparations of ' may also include

quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and ...

Preparation

' is usually prepared using milk or

soymilk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...

, but water or fruit juice may also be used. The procedure is similar to that used to make hot chocolate from milk and cocoa powder rather than hot water and a mix.

Other uses

' mix can be used to make fruit smoothies or as an ingredient for custard or other desserts. It is sometimes also eaten with grated cheese, or by itself.

Availability

Ready-to-drink ' can be purchased at shops and ice cream parlors in , where it is consumed by both local residents and tourists. A number of manufacturers besides the company founded by Rafael Emilio Madrid now produce ' mix as well. Several brands are exported to other countries to serve Ecuadoran immigrant populations and other customers.

References

{{Barley Barley-based drinks Ecuadorian cuisine Latin American cuisine Non-alcoholic drinks