CHICHA VENEZOLANA

SWEET AND HEARTY RICE DRINK

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Chicha is deliciously dangerous haha... It is a very addictive drink due to its rich and creamy sweetness, and you can put down way more than you think in one sitting. Since it contains both lots of carbs and lots of sugar you can imagine where this leads if you're a hyperactive kid or you don't have a fast metabolism. Either way, every so often this can be a real treat and it is easy and fast to make. I recommend making it ahead of time to allow it to fully cool, serve with lots of ice and a dusting of cinnamon.

This recipe will yield about 5-6 glasses of chicha. Adjust the rice to water ratio as needed for larger batches.

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INGREDIENTS:

		| RATIO:
1/4 cup	White Rice	| 1
1.5 cups	Water (You may need a little extra depending on the type of rice)	| 6
1	Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1	Can of Coconut cream - sweetened or unsweetened (Note that coconut cream and cream of coconut are different things)
1	Sticks of Cinnamon
1/4 tsp	Almond flavor concentrate
1/4 tsp	Vanilla flavor concentrate

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INSTRUCTIONS:

• Rinse the white rice using a sieve, then set it to boil in a saucepan with the necessary water.
• Add the Cinnamon stick to the mixture, cap, and set to boil over a low fire.
• Stir initially, then leave capped to boil. Allow the rice to boil until the water is below the surface of the rice and check for a fully transparent and over-boiled rice consistency that is falling appart. If the rice is still not over-boiled add another 1/4cup of water and let it boil down again -- I've successfully sped up this process by leaving the rice to soak overnight in water for large batches.
• Once the rice is ready, turn off the heat to the saucepan and scoop out the rice onto a plate to allow it to cool.
• In the now-empty warm/hot saucepan, pour the can of coconut cream and can of sweetened condensed milk to allow the residual heat to melt the contents and combine into a smooth liquid. Stir to incorporate, and set aside until rice has cooled and is luke-warm to the touch.
• Remove the cinnamon stick from the rice, then combine rice and the contents of the sauce pan in a blender. Blend until smooth and no rice lumps can be felt on the tongue (it will still be a tiny bit grainy, but not lumpy).
• Add Almond and Vanilla flavor, a 1/2 cup of ice, dust with cinnamon powder, and blend again until smooth. The heat in the mixture should completely melt the ice and yield the first pass at the concentrated chicha flavor. Taste and make adjustments as desired, taking into account that when you serve the chicha the mixture will water down a bit with the ice in the cup. This means the thickness and flavor should be a smidge thicker and stronger than your desired final product.
• Serve in a cup with lots of ice (crushed ice is nice) and a dusting of cinnamon. If desired you can get a nice look and sweeter flavor by squirting come sweetened condensed milk using a squeeze bottle onto the interior/sides of the cup using a nice pattern. An added cinnamon stick placed like a straw in the cutp will create a highly garnished look as well.

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INGREDIENT NOTES:

- Coconut cream with its thick coconut flavor is a controversial ingredient since some consider it to be not a 'classic' flavor. I disagree since it adds flavor notes that beautifully complement the rice and cinnamon flavors and doesn't turn this into a 'coconut drink'. Cream of coconut is a much thicker, sweeter, and almost syrup-like alternative and should be used in much smaller quantities.

- Cinnamon Sticks can be replaced with 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of cinnamon powder.

- Thickness and flavor intensity: Many variations of this drink exist that vary the thickness/creaminess of the final product as well as the intensity of the flavor. This is often done by adding mor/less water, or more/less spices respectively. My ideal version is a light consistency with lots of ice, making it a refreshing drink (reminiscent of a Mexican Horchata) with a light cinnamon flavor.

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