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Masato de arroz (Bogotá spiced rice drink)
Masato: a thick, sweet rice drink with cinnamon and cloves, lightly soured and served cold
In the old bakeries of La Candelaria and at the juice stands of the Paloquemao market in Bogotá, masato is poured from big jugs to go with warm almojábanas and pandebono at mid-morning or with the afternoon onces. It is cooked rice blended with spiced syrup and left to rest until it turns gently tangy, so it tastes like a cross between rice pudding and a cool, creamy lemonade. Any natural fermentation produces a trace of alcohol the longer it goes on; this version rests only overnight and is then chilled, and for a completely alcohol-free drink skip the rest and add lime juice for the tang. Chef's tip: keep the rest short and taste it; it should be lightly sour and sweet, never fizzy or boozy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 7 oz white long-grain ricerinsed
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp lime juice (optional)for the alcohol-free version
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz white long-grain rice in a large pan with 6 ¼ cups water, 2 cinnamon sticks and 6 whole cloves. Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for 35–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the grains are very soft and bursting.
40 minStep 2: Fish out the spices. Add 7 oz sugar or grated panela and stir until dissolved.
2 minStep 3: Blend with the rest of 8 ¼ cups water until completely smooth. Push through a sieve if you like it silky.
3 minStep 4: Cool, then pour into a clean glass jar, cover with a cloth and leave in a cool place for 12 hours, until it tastes slightly tangy. Common mistake: leaving it out for days; it turns sour, fizzy and alcoholic.
5 minStep 5: Chill and drink within 2 days, stirred well, with almojábanas. For an alcohol-free version, chill it straight after blending and stir in 2 tbsp lime juice instead of resting it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masato de arroz (Bogotá spiced rice drink) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white long-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon sticks?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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