Destination
Arequipa
The story
Emoliente is Lima's morning ritual: a hot, mildly bitter, gently thickened medicinal drink of toasted barley, flax seeds (linaza), horsetail (cola de caballo), alfalfa, boldo leaves and lime juice, sold from thermoses on every Lima street corner from 5am to 9am to workers heading to their shifts. The drink is thought to soothe the stomach, help digestion, ease respiratory ailments and (most importantly) fortify the drinker for the day ahead. Every emolientero — the pushcart vendor who sells it — has his own recipe, but the base of toasted barley + flax + herbs + lime + a splash of honey or piloncillo is universal.
Method
In a dry heavy pan, toast the pearled barley over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden. Do not brown.
In a large pot, combine the toasted barley, 1.5 litres water, horsetail, alfalfa, boldo, muña and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes, covered, until the water turns amber-brown and takes on the herbal aromas.
Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, combine the flax seeds with 500ml water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes until the flax has released its natural mucilage and the water has thickened into a gelatinous slurry. Do not stir constantly — let the flax gel form.
Strain the flax slurry through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing on the seeds to extract every drop of gel. Discard the seeds. You should have about 400ml of viscous liquid.
Strain the herb decoction through a fine sieve into a large clean pot, pressing to extract every drop. Discard the herbs. Add the flax slurry to the herb decoction. Warm gently — do not boil.
Stir in the panela (crushed or grated for faster dissolving) and honey until dissolved. Taste — it should be mildly sweet, slightly bitter and warmly herbal.
Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and aloe vera (if using). The lime brightens and cuts the herbal earthiness.
Pour hot into small glasses. Garnish with a fresh muña or mint leaf. Some drinkers add a splash of extra lime or honey to taste. Best served immediately; keeps in a thermos 4 hours.
Tips
- Toast the barley. This is the flavour marker. Untoasted barley tastes bland; lightly toasted has a nutty, slightly caramelised depth.
- Flax slurry is essential. This is what gives emoliente its characteristic silky, faintly-viscous texture. Do not skip.
- Fresh lime at the end. Adding lime during the simmer turns it bitter. Off the heat, at the end, gives the classical bright finish.
- Panela + honey. The dual sweeteners give a specific depth. Refined sugar alone gives a flatter result.
- Serve hot, especially in the morning. This is a 6am drink. Emoliente cold is not the same — it thickens too much and loses the medicinal quality.
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