Recipe: Chicha De Jora Ecuador

Chicha De Jora.. Beverage..Corn Beer

480 gm (4 full cups) Maiz de Jora purchased or homemade
2 (15-oz) cakes chancaca OR 1 cup White sugar and
2 cups Brown sugar; packed + additional for sweetening
8 Whole cloves
1 Dried hot chili pepper
1 Fresh stalk Sugarcane (1-1/2 lbs) cut into pieces; crushed
1 Lemon; sliced for garnish

In a stainless-steel stockpot large enough to hold 2-1/2 gallons of liquid, combine the jora, chancaca or sugars, cloves, pepper, and crushed sugarcane with 8 quarts of cold water. Allow to soak for 1 hour. Place over high heat and bring to boil, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking and burning. When the mixture comes to a full boil, lower the heat and gently simmer, covered, for 4-1/2 hours, stirring now and then.

Remove from heat and allow to rest for about 2 hours undisturbed. Pour through a strainer. Press liquid from the sugar cane and discard the pulp.

Strain the mixture again through a double layer of cheesecloth into a ceramic, porcelain, or glass container and store in a dark, cool place, covered tightly with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. Allow to sit from 3 to 8 days, depending on how strong and how thick you want the chicha to be.

The longer the chicha sits, the higher the alcohol content and the thicker it will get.

To serve, add the additional sugar to taste, chill thoroughly, and garnish with lemon slices.