Masato de Arroz: Traditional Colombian Rice Beverage
Masato de Arroz is a highly traditional, sweet, and creamy Colombian beverage deeply rooted in the Andean regions like Santander, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, and Tolima.
The secret to this 1-hour recipe is extracting as much starch as possible from the rice. The rice is boiled in a massive amount of water, and then that starchy water is separated, sweetened with a rich syrup, thickened with a touch of wheat flour, and spiced with cinnamon and cloves. While it can be enjoyed fresh and sweet right away, the true ancestral magic happens when it is left to naturally ferment for a few days!
Masato de Arroz (Colombian Rice Beverage)
A traditional, creamy, and sweet rice beverage! Rice-infused water thickened with syrup and flour, spiced with cinnamon and cloves.
Ingredients
- 8 Liters Water Divided: 1 liter for syrup, 7 liters for rice
- 2 lbs White rice Washed
- 4 lbs Sugar
- 1/4 lb Wheat flour
- 4 Cinnamon sticks
- 6 Cloves
Instructions
- Prepare the syrup: The very first step is to take 1 liter of the water, combine it with the 4 lbs of sugar in a pot, and heat it until the sugar dissolves completely to form a simple syrup (almíbar). Set aside.
- Cook the rice: In a separate, very large pot, place the remaining 7 liters of water and the washed rice. Let it cook over medium heat for 30 minutes to release all of its starches into the liquid.
- Strain and mix: After 30 minutes, remove the rice pot from the heat and let it cool slightly. Strain the mixture, making sure to keep the starchy water (you can discard the actual rice grains or save them for another recipe). Pass this rice water through a fine sieve to ensure it is perfectly smooth.
- Flavor and thicken: To your strained rice water, add the cloves, the cinnamon sticks, the sugar syrup you prepared in step one, and the wheat flour.
- Final simmer: Place this combined mixture back over low heat and let it cook for another 30 minutes. You must stir it constantly (preferably with a wooden spoon) to prevent the flour from clumping.
- Cool and serve: Let the liquid cool completely. You can serve it immediately at room temperature or over crushed ice. If you desire a more traditional flavor, transfer it to a clay or glass container and let it naturally ferment at room temperature for several days before serving!
Notes
- Fermentation Tradition: In highly traditional recipes, masato is almost always left to ferment for a few days, developing a slightly sparkling, alcoholic character. However, it is also perfectly acceptable and delicious to consume it fresh without the fermentation process.
- Indigenous Heritage: This beverage is a direct, living inheritance from the ancestral gastronomy of the indigenous communities that originally inhabited the Colombian territory.
- Festive Staple: While you can find it year-round, Masato is a beverage that is massively consumed throughout Colombia during the December holiday festivities and other special family occasions.
- Regional Variations: There are countless variations across the country. Some households add a touch of lemon, others completely omit the wheat flour, and some even add a splash of beer to speed up the fermentation! It is also widely consumed in neighboring countries like Venezuela and Peru, each with their own unique methods and ingredients.
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