Chicheme (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Bring some Panamanian flare to your household with some Chicheme. A totally vegan friendly beverage made from maíz pilado (dried corn kernels), almond milk, water, spices and my homemade coconut condensed milk. Instant pot and stovetop option

I am so excited to share this tasty recipe with you all today.

You're probably wondering why that is, well as you know I specialise in showcasing recipes which are gluten and dairy free while tapping into my Caribbean heritage.

Well as you know the word "Caribbean" is an umbrella term, which constitutes are large number of islands, situated between north and south America.

Panama and its Caribbean connection

Most of us are familiar with the more notable islands such as Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados just to name a few...

However, there are a few countries near by the aforementioned places which share some of that Caribbean culture .i.e Guyana, Belize and Panama.

Although the primary language in Panama is Spanish due to its colonial history.

A large number of the Panamanian population come from various Caribbean islands.

Many of them went to Panama between 1850 - 1880 to build the railroads and the great canal.

After  the completion of labour, the vast majority of islanders decided to stay and seek residence in Panama which explains why certain regions speak creole along with the similarities in a number of cuisines.

I thought I would give my lovely readers a brief insight into the history of Panama and how it links the Caribbean although it is geographically separate by location.

What is chicheme?

In short is it a sweet drink that is popular throughout central America especially Costa Rica and Panama.

The drink is made from maíz pilado (dried corn kernels) also known as hominy.

Hominy is dried maize kernel treated in lye or lime (from limestone not the fruit).

The drink is made by first soaking the dried corn kernels overnight. The corn kernels are then boiled in water with cinnamon sticks until they completely soften.

Then additional ingredients such as evaporated milk, nutmeg, additional ground cinnamon and condensed milk is used to sweeten the drink.

The drink is left to cool down and then served cold although some people do like to sip on this beverage warm.

Is Jamaican hominy corn porridge the same thing?

I would say it has very much the same ingredients and the cooking method is identical.

The only main difference is that Jamaicans like to serve their version hot not cold and like to consume it in the morning for breakfast.

Also the texture of hominy corn porridge is thicker, some people like to add either starch/flour or mash the corn kernels to give the porridge more body.

Aside from that there really isn't a difference.

The vegan/instant pot rendition

Traditionally this recipe would be made on the stove top but nowadays we as a society lives in the fast lane.

More people are looking for quicker alternatives to make their favourite recipes which is why I updated the original recipe with an instant pot method.

This method is quicker than the stove top version and you also don't need to soak the hominy in advance.

I know so many people of Caribbean heritage and also people who are an avid lover of Caribbean cuisines.

Who are dietary restricted and want to enjoy their cultural favorite food and beverages that taste foolproof.

My version of this porridge is dairy free and vegan friendly so I omit the use of cow's milk.

There is no vegan replica (as far as I know) for evaporated milk, so what I like to do with my recipes is use almond milk instead because it has that same thin texture.

I also use my homemade coconut condensed milk. If you are using this, just know that your drink may appear darken that the original version.

Instant pot version

• Thoroughly rinse off the hominy corn and transfer it to your inner pot.
• Proceed to add the cinnamon sticks along with the water.
• Select "pressure cook" on "high" and adjust the +/- to 30 minutes.
• Place the lid on the instant pot and flick the valve to "sealling".
• The pressure cooker will take several minutes to reach pressure before it begins to cook.

• After the given time, leave to instant pot to perform a natural release of pressure for 10-15 minutes.
• Flick the valve to "venting" to release any excess pressure then remove the lid.
• Use a spoon to check the readiness of the hominy by squeezing it between your fingers, it should be soft and easy to squash (that means it is ready).
• Add the nutmeg.
• Stir in the vanilla, almond milk and coconut condensed milk (to taste).
• Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard them.
• Leave to completely cool, transfer into glasses and then place in the refrigerator.

Notes and tips

• Make sure to soak the corn kernels overnight, if you are making the stovetop version.
• This recipe should make up to 6 servings.
• Some people like to serve this hot instead of cold, you are more than welcome to do that instead.
• Hominy corn is NOT the same as sweet corn and cannot be used as a replica.
• If you don't want to use
• Feel free to use Coconut Milk instead for a more Caribbean flare.
• As the drink cools down it may thicken, if it does, it is okay to thin it out with milk/water if required.
• You can purchase dried hominy corn from any Asian, Caribbean or Latino grocery store
• Store any leftovers in the refrigerator (in individual glasses that are wrapped or in an airtight container) and consume within 2-3 days
• For best results, once you have made the drink, allow it to completely chill before serving.

Other Caribbean porridge and corn recipes to try

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Chicheme (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Bring some Panamanian flare to your household with some Chicheme. A totally vegan friendly beverage made from maíz pilado (dried corn kernels), almond milk, water, spices and my homemade coconut condensed milk. Instant pot and stovetop option

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Panamanian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Charla

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups dried hominy (330g)
• ▢ 2 large cinnamon sticks
• ▢ 6 cups water (1.42 litres)
• ▢ 3 cups almond milk (710ml)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pink salt (3g)
• ▢ a jar of condensed coconut milk

Instructions

Instant pot version

• Thoroughly rinse off the hominy corn and transfer it to your inner pot.
• Proceed to add the cinnamon sticks along with the water.
• Select "pressure cook" on "high" and adjust the +/- to 30 minutes.
• Place the lid on the instant pot and flick the valve to "sealling".
• The pressure cooker will take several minutes to reach pressure before it begins to cook.
• After the given time, leave to instant pot to perform a natural release of pressure for 10-15 minutes.
• Flick the valve to "venting" to release any excess pressure then remove the lid.
• Use a spoon to check the readiness of the hominy by squeezing it between your fingers, it should be soft and easy to squash (that means it is ready).
• Add the nutmeg.Stir in the vanilla, almond milk and coconut condensed milk (to taste).
• Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard them.
• Leave to completely cool, transfer into glasses and then place in the refrigerator.

Stovetop version

• Rinse the hominy several times in warm water to release some of the lye/lime before finally placing the hominy in a large bowl with water (not the 6 cups) and soak overnight.
• The next morning drain off the water and rinse again.
• Pour the hominy into a medium size saucepan with the 6 cups of water along with the cinnamon sticks and then bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan with the lid and allow to simmer.
• Check the saucepan frequently to ensure there is enough water, it should take almost an hour for the hominy to soften and there should be just enough water in the pan to cover the corn.
• Once cooked remove the saucepan from the stove then proceed to stir in the almond milk, vanilla, nutmeg and condensed coconut milk (to taste)
• Allow the chicheme to completely cool before refrigerating.

Notes

• Make sure to soak the corn kernels overnight, if you are making the stovetop version.
• This recipe should make up to 6 servings.
• Some people like to serve this hot instead of cold, you are more than welcome to do that instead.
• Hominy corn is NOT the same as sweet corn and cannot be used as a replica.
• If you don't want to use
• Feel free to use Coconut Milk instead for a more Caribbean flare.
• As the drink cools down it may thicken, if it does, it is okay to thin it out with milk/water if required.
• You can purchase dried hominy corn from any Asian, Caribbean or Latino grocery store
• Store any leftovers in the refrigerator (in individual glasses that are wrapped or in an airtight container) and consume within 2-3 days
• For best results, once you have made the drink, allow it to completely chill before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 706mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 3mg

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