Chicha de maiz predates the Inca and was a sacred drink poured to Pachamama, the earth mother, before any harvest or festival. In Bolivia, especially around Cochabamba, chicherias still brew it in clay vessels, and a white flag or balloon outside a home traditionally signals fresh chicha is ready to share.
Cloudy and golden, it is tangy and yeasty up front with a soft corn sweetness underneath and a light, refreshing fizz. The mild alcohol warms gently without overpowering. It tastes ancient, earthy and alive.
Malting the corn converts starches to fermentable sugars via natural enzymes, then wild yeasts and bacteria ferment those sugars into alcohol and lactic acid, producing chicha's signature tart, lightly boozy fizz.
Variations
chicha cochabambina, sweeter or drier versions, longer-fermented stronger chicha, fruit-flavored
On the Palate
Where Chicha de Maiz Bolivian sits in the Bolivian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12How it's made
8 steps · 60 min active · 4320 min waiting
- 12880 min
Malt the corn by soaking and sprouting the kernels, then dry them.
- 230 min
Grind the malted corn coarsely.
- 390 min
Boil the ground corn in water for an extended time, stirring.
- 415 min
Strain the liquid and discard the spent grain.
- 55 min
Add unrefined sugar or chancaca and stir to dissolve.
- 620 min
Cool the wort and transfer it to a clay or glass vessel.
- 71440 min
Cover loosely and let it ferment for several days.
- 85 min
Strain again and serve cool, shaking to redistribute the sediment.
