Maiz morado (purple corn) is iconic to the Andean region of South America and in my opinion is one of the most beautiful foods from this part of the world, not to mention my favorite color. Imagine my delight when I learned about the rich, heavily spiced breakfast drink called api morado that can be traced back to Inca origins. The beverage has a thick, smoothie-like consistency and is made with purple corn flour, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange rind, pineapple juice, and sugar. There is a white corn flour variety called api blanco prepared slightly differently using milk and crushed white corn or hominy, which is also served as a hearty breakfast drink.
Api is generally consumed hot alongside puffy fried pastries topped with powdered sugar called buñuelos or cheese-filled empanadas; together they will set you back about a dollar. I have seen the drink typically sold at hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Peru and Bolivia where these are the only items on the menu. It is also possible to buy powdered api packets in the store, but these don’t compare to the fresh stuff in my experience. With its high sugar content, api isn’t necessarily the healthiest breakfast option, but it certainly is delicious and the nutritional benefits of purple corn are worth a mention.
The beautiful dark purple pigment is a result of anthocyanins, which are flavonoid antioxidants also contained in other dark produce such as blueberries, grapes, plums, and eggplant. Along with anthocyanins, the phytonutrients contained in purple corn could promote blood flow, act as an anti-inflammatory, and positively impact blood-glucose levels. Though it is difficult to research the link between anthocyanins and human health, preliminary studies on this antioxidant’s effectiveness in protecting against disease have been promising. With plenty of research still needed to be done on this purple crop, the rich taste alone is reason enough to try incorporating it over more common corn varieties.
The api morado recipe below is courtesy of Bolivia Bella:
Ingredients (serves 8):
- 2 cups ground purple corn or purple corn flour
- 15 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole cloves
- Rind from one orange, finely grated
- Juice of ¼ pineapple
- Sugar to taste
Instructions:
- Purple corn is sold dried on the cob, in kernels, or as a corn flour. If using whole purple corn, cut or break off the kernels and grind in a blender or food processor with a little water. A mortar and pestle is used traditionally, though takes much longer. If purple corn flour is available, this step can be eliminated.
- Soak the ground purple corn or corn flour in 6 cups of water for two hours. In the meantime, boil the remaining 9 cups of water with the cinnamon and cloves so that the water will take on the flavor of the spices.
- If using ground purple corn, strain the corn from the water, reserving the water and not the corn, to be added to the boiled cinnamon water. If using corn flour, add the 6 cups of soaked corn flour to the 9 cups of boiled cinnamon water.
- Add the grated orange rind to the spiced purple water.
- Cook together, stirring constantly until just a little thick, and taking care to avoid lumps. Add the pineapple juice and sugar to taste, and serve steaming hot or refrigerate to serve cold.
Wholesome Harvest 