Mote con huesillo is a popular Chilean drink made with nixtamalized wheat and sun-dried peaches. The wheat is cooked in alkaline water, while the peaches are rehydrated and mixed with a cinnamon-flavored simple syrup. The drink is often served at festivals and stalls across the country and is considered a symbol of Chilean patriotism.
For many Chileans, the national drink of their South American nation is called mote con huesillo. Translated from the indigenous language of the continent, Quechan, the name literally means “grain with sun-dried peaches”. Wheat is grain, cooked in alkaline water in a process called nixtamalization, which is then mixed with cooked dried peaches and a cinnamon-flavored simple syrup.
The grain used for mote con huesillo must be stripped of its bran through nixtamalization. This ancient Amerindian process of boiling the grain in lye-saturated water prepares the grain for recipes, leaving its nutritious niacin content high. It is still used throughout South and Central America to prepare different types of grains and even legumes for the table. In some Chilean households, the process is known as kako.
The dried peaches need to be slightly rehydrated before the mote con huesillo can take shape. This means they must be soaked in water overnight. This liquid can then be simmered with the peaches over medium heat, and then sugar and cinnamon can be added to make a simple syrup. Once thickened, many chefs leave the nectar in the pan and refrigerate it until cold. To thicken the syrup, some flour might be added to the peaches just before serving.
Mote is made by boiling grain in water until it is tender like cooked rice. After the water has been filtered, the grain is often rubbed by hand to ensure that all husks have been removed. Then, a liberal scoop of the finished grain is added to each glass of the chilled peach nectar.
A local expression indicates the popularity of this summer drink, served at festivals and stalls across the country. Referring to patriotism, locals might say that something is “more Chilean than mote con huesillo.” This is used as frequently as another expression used by neighbors in the far north, which can be heard saying that something is “more American than apple pie.”
Mote con huesillo isn’t the only drink or food recipe to use nixtamalized wheat. From grits and ominy sauce to bread and risotto, mote has become a common ingredient in many native dishes. A popular twist on the peach nectar version of the national drink involves using another type of fruit such as plums. This is often done when dried peaches are not available. When mote is not in abundance, some will use pearl barley instead.
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