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Canchánchara
Canchánchara: raw cane aguardiente, lime and honey stirred with water and ice in a clay cup, Trinidad's oldest drink
In the colonial town of Trinidad, in Sancti Spíritus province, the canchánchara is served in little clay cups to the sound of a son band in the late afternoon. Its roots are in the independence wars of the 1860s and 70s, when the mambí fighters drank cane aguardiente mixed with honey, lime and water, warm or at camp temperature. Today it comes with crushed ice, but it is still a drink for adults only, rustic and honest: floral honey, sharp lime and the raw, sugary heat of young cane spirit, cold and only slightly diluted. The classic mistake is pouring honey straight onto the ice, where it sets into a hard lump at the bottom and the drink tastes of nothing but sour spirit. Stir the honey into the lime and water first until no streaks remain, then add the ice and spirit. It is ready when the honey has disappeared into a cloudy, even mixture and the outside of the cup sweats with cold. Drink it slowly and responsibly. Outside Cuba, use unaged white rum or cachaça for the aguardiente; a short tumbler is fine if you have no clay cup. Chef's tip: soak the clay cup in cold water for ten minutes first; it keeps the drink cold for much longer.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the canchánchara
- 1 tbsp honeyrunny, about 20 g
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juicefreshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 3 ½ tbsp cane aguardienteor unaged white rum or cachaça
- 3 ½ oz crushed ice
For the alcohol-free version
- 1 tbsp honey (optional)not for babies under one year
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juice (optional)
- ½ cup cold water (optional)
- 3 ½ oz crushed ice (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Soak a clay cup or tumbler in cold water, then empty it.
10 minStep 2: Put 1 tbsp honey, 1 ½ tbsp lime juice and 2 tbsp cold water in the cup and stir with a spoon until the honey has dissolved completely and no streaks remain.
1 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz crushed ice, pour over 3 ½ tbsp cane aguardiente and stir again from the bottom until the cup sweats with cold. Serve with a spoon or short straw.
1 minStep 4: Alcohol-free version: stir 1 tbsp honey with 1 ½ tbsp lime juice and ½ cup cold water until fully dissolved, then add 3 ½ oz crushed ice and stir until very cold.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does canchánchara take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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Spanish