Chucula

The indigenous people of Columbia used to say, "Coco is the food of the gods." 

A few weekends ago I had the privilege to go to an event called "La Paztelería del Meg." pastelería means bakery, and paz mean peace. This peace event was hosted by one of the Mennonite Churches in Colombia. As we talked about conflicts in Colombia while we made Chucula. Chucula is a drink found only in Colombia. It contains coco which gives it a chocolate flavor, various spices, and grains. Growing coco has been a way to bring peace in Colombia. Some producers have replaced cocaine with coco thereby promoting peace. 

During this peace event, we took part in producing Chucula. Ingredients include: 

• Cain Sugar (Panela) 
• Coco (unsweetened and natural) 
• Corn 
• Oats 
• Lentils 
• Chickpeas 
• Cinnamon 
• Cloves

Some of the grains used

First, grind up all the grains and spices into powder. Unfortunately, the spices and grains were already ground when we arrived so I was not able to determine the quantities. 

Second, melt the panela or cane sugar and add a little bit of water until it becomes dense and almost paste like. 

Third, mix the melted cane sugar and ground-up grains and spices with your hands. The mixture becomes something like wet sand. Shape them into golf-size balls. 

The cain sugar melted down and mixed through

Fourth, let the balls of chucula sit for 15 days, in order to dry. 

Finally, after the fifteen days, it is ready to be made into a drink. Put one ball into a pot with milk and brink it to a boil. Continue to boil and mix until the grains become soft. The flavor is delicious and holds the taste of hot chocolate, aqua panela, and spices. The grains add a hardiness without tasting the grains. Although it is not a drink typical to Bogota, you can still find and buy packets of the dried Chucula ready to boil and enjoy. 

Bread and Chucula

The final product