Mocochinchi
My experience with dried peaches was the sweetened dehydrated kind you buy as a snack. These didn’t look so much dehydrated as fossilized. It was obvious they still contained their pits. They were as hard as a dried up walnut.
How to use? My thoughts (surprise, surprise) went immediately to Everclear. Then I turned the bag over and saw that they sole purpose of Mocochinchi, at least in the country of Bolivia, is to make a sweet and spicy, alcohol free drink by the same name.
Having never visited Bolivia (an oversight I plan to correct some year soon), I had never heard of Mocochinchi. But, with summer coming, the recipe sounded so refreshing. It is a kind of cider made with peaches instead of apples and served icy cold.
I searched the web for other recipes and found a site called BoliviaBella. It’s a well designed and exhaustive resource for all things Bolivian. And when I begin planning that trip, it will be one of my primary resources. Within the site is a delightful section just for kids, and within that section are kid focused discussions of traditional Bolivian foods.
The recipe is here.
At the end of the recipe, an alternative is offered that involves burnt brown sugar as a substitute for white sugar. That sounds intriguing. I think I’ll try it. Maybe with some Everclear?
When is the next taste test party?
I love peaches, I bet that would be a refreshingly tasty drink.
Of course, when I think of peach cocktails, I think of Venice’s Bellini (peach nectar and prosecco). Dried peaches and Everclear might be a turbo charged Bellini!
Where did you purchase those dehydrated peaches? I also want to use them for my mocochinchi soon. I checked Goya’s website, but couldn’t find the product. Please and thank you.
Deborah responds:
I see from your micds email address, Darryl, that you are here in St. Louis. How’s that for a coincidence?
You can get the dehydrated peaches at Global Foods on Kirkwood Road. (across the street from the Alpine Shop)