Mazamorra is a creole dish and is one of the most traditional in Colombia, especially in the central departments of the country, such as Antioquia. Being from Antioquia, I've always consumed mazamorra, either as a replacement for beverages to accompany any meal or at any time of the day.
The preparation method is straightforward; you simply need to cook the corn, serve it with milk, and accompany it with a small piece of panela (sugarloaf) or bocadillo (guava paste).
What is the best type of corn for Colombian mazamorra?
For Colombian mazamorra, it's recommended to use hulled corn, also known as peeled corn. This type of corn has been stripped from the grain and has a soft, delightful texture when cooked. To prepare mazamorra, you will need 1 pound of hulled corn.
What is the soaking process for the corn?
Soaking the corn is essential to soften it before cooking. Soak the hulled corn in water overnight, approximately 12 hours, so the kernels hydrate and soften. This technique makes cooking easier and improves mazamorra's texture.
How can you tell if the corn is properly cooked?
The corn should be cooked over medium heat for about half an hour or until it's tender. You can check its doneness by poking it with a fork or tasting a kernel. If it's soft yet holds its shape, the corn is ready to be strained and continue with the mazamorra preparation.
How can you enjoy mazamorra in different ways?
You can enjoy mazamorra both hot and cold. To have it hot, add 4 cups of milk to the pot with the cooked corn and boil for about 10 minutes. If you prefer cold mazamorra, serve the corn portions on a plate and add milk directly. Accompany mazamorra with bocadillos or small portions of panela.
What can be done with the corn cooking water?
Don't discard the corn water. Strain and reserve it, as you can drink it any time to refresh yourself. This water is known as "claro" and is a typical beverage in Colombian cuisine.
Tips
- Ensure to soak the hulled corn for at least 12 hours to soften it and facilitate its cooking.
- If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a regular pot and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Adjust the amount of panela or bocadillos according to your sweetness preference.
Common Mistakes
- Not soaking the corn long enough, resulting in hard kernels and an unpleasant mazamorra texture.
- Cooking the corn over high heat, which can cause it to burn or stick to the pot.
- Not straining the cooking water before adding the milk, which can affect mazamorra's taste and texture.
- Guarapo and guandolo — what it is drunk with.
- Colombian chicha — the same corn, fermented.
Today, let's prepare this delicious Antioquia mazamorra recipe.
Mazamorra FAQ
The water the corn was cooked in, strained off and kept. It is faintly sweet and starchy from the corn, and in Antioquia it is drunk cold on its own as a refreshment, sometimes with a little panela. Throwing it away is the mistake: it is half the point of making mazamorra.
Hulled corn boiled until tender and served in cold milk, with panela or a piece of guava paste alongside to sweeten each spoonful. It comes from Antioquia and the coffee region, and it is eaten as an afternoon snack or a light supper rather than a dessert.
No. Mazamorra morada is a thick purple pudding made from purple corn with fruit and spices, eaten with a spoon. Colombian mazamorra is loose corn kernels in milk, barely sweetened, and closer to a cereal than a dessert. Same name, unrelated dishes.
Hominy, which is the same thing: field corn treated with lime so the hull comes off. Dried hominy is closest to the Colombian maíz pelado and needs the overnight soak. Canned hominy skips the soaking and most of the cooking, at some cost to texture.
Dried hulled corn is very hard and takes hours to soften otherwise. Soaking cuts the cooking time down to around half an hour and helps the kernels cook evenly instead of splitting. It is not optional with dried corn.
Both are traditional. Cold is the classic: the corn is served in a bowl and cold milk poured over. For hot mazamorra, the milk goes into the pot with the corn and comes briefly to a boil. Cold is more common in Antioquia, and it is what most people mean.
Not in the pot. Panela or a piece of bocadillo is served alongside, and you bite or dissolve it as you eat, so each person sweetens their own. That is why the recipe has only three ingredients and none of them is sugar.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound hulled corn (maíz pelado) (about 450 g; sold as hominy in the US, dried or canned)
- 4 cups milk (about 950 ml; cold, unless making it hot)
- 4 bocadillos, or small pieces of panela (bocadillo is Colombian guava paste; served alongside, not stirred in)
- Water, enough to cook the corn (keep it after cooking: that is the claro)
Instructions
- Soak the corn overnight in plenty of water. Dried hulled corn is very hard, and without soaking it takes hours to soften.
- Drain it, put it in a pot with fresh water and cook over medium heat for about half an hour, until the kernels are tender and have opened.
- Strain the corn and keep the cooking water. This is the claro: faintly sweet and starchy, and in Antioquia it is drunk cold on its own, sometimes with a little panela. It is not a by-product, it is half the point.
- For cold mazamorra, serve the corn in bowls and pour cold milk over it. For hot mazamorra, add the milk to the pot with the corn and bring it to a boil for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with bocadillo or a piece of panela on the side, to sweeten each spoonful as you eat.
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