This refreshing drink, made from fermented barley, is known for its unique flavor and nutritious properties, making it a popular choice both in cities and rural areas.
Barley Aloja is a semi-fermented cereal beverage, sometimes called barley chicha in certain regions. To prepare it, barley, corn, and orange peel are toasted, cooked in water with quince paste, orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves, then filtered and sweetened with sugar. After a light fermentation of 4 days, it’s ready to enjoy.
Barley Aloja
Ingredients
¼ kilogram of Barley
¼ kilogram of Yellow corn
¼ kilogram of Quince paste
5 liters of Boiled water
8 liters of Cold water
Cloves
Cinnamon
Orange peel
Preparation
Step 1 : To prepare this refreshing barley and corn beverage, follow these steps.
Step 2 : First, toast the barley in the oven or a skillet until it turns a dark color.
Step 3 : Repeat the same process with the corn and orange peel.
Step 4 : Once toasted, cook the barley and corn in 5 liters of water for about half an hour.
Step 5 : Add the quince paste, orange peel, cinnamon, and 5 cloves.
Step 6 : Wait for the corn kernels to burst.
Step 7 : Once cooked, let the mixture cool and then strain it.
Step 8 : Add cooled boiled water until reaching a total of 13 liters of preparation.
Step 9 : Gradually add sugar until achieving a balanced taste.
Step 10 : Transfer the beverage into bottles, placing one clove in each.
Step 11 : Keep these bottles in a cool place at room temperature for over 4 days to allow light fermentation of the drink.
Step 12 : After this time, the beverage will be ready to serve.
Step 13 : It is recommended to consume after 4 or 5 days of resting, preferably very cold.
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