Champús

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the fruit and base ingredients: dice the mango and pineapple into small, even pieces so they warm through quickly and spoon easily. Drain the hominy well. This short prep keeps the total cooking time within 30 minutes.

   150 g ripe mango, peeled and diced small180 g pineapple, peeled and diced small300 g cooked hominy, drained
2. 2

   In a medium saucepan, combine the water, cinnamon stick, cloves, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a lively simmer for 5 minutes so the spices perfume the liquid.

   700 ml water1 small (about 5 g) cinnamon stick2 whole cloves35 g granulated sugar1 g pinch of fine salt
3. 3

   Add the drained hominy and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly crush a small portion of the hominy against the side of the pan with a spoon; this releases starch and gives the champús a gently porridge-like body without needing a thickener.

   300 g cooked hominy, drained
4. 4

   Add the diced pineapple and cook for 4 minutes more, until the fruit is hot and slightly softened but still distinct. Pineapple is added first because it benefits from a little extra cooking compared with mango.

   180 g pineapple, peeled and diced small
5. 5

   Stir in the diced mango and lime juice, then simmer for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired; the finished champús should be warmly spiced, lightly sweet, and fruity rather than syrupy.

   150 g ripe mango, peeled and diced small10 ml lime juice
6. 6

   Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Let the champús rest off the heat for 3 minutes to settle and thicken slightly.

7. 7

   Ladle into 2 bowls or mugs and finish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon. Serve warm.

   1 g ground cinnamon

Origin & History

Champús appears in several Andean and Latin American food traditions, with regional variations ranging from beverages to thick fruit-and-grain preparations. In Peru, versions made with maíz, fruit, and warming spices reflect the blending of Indigenous ingredients with colonial-era additions such as cinnamon and cloves.