' or ' is a traditional hot beverage of Peru, made from ' (toasted barley flour) and ' (unrefined sugar) mixed with spices and combined with a liquid, usually milk. The term ' may also refer to the dry mix itself.
The invention of ' is attributed to Rafael Emilio Madrid of Lima, Peru. As the story goes, Madrid was inspired by watching laborers sucking on pieces of ', and decided to grind ' and mix it with ' and spices.
The Madrid family's factory, built in the 1950s and located in San Rafael, Ecuador, originally used a millstone to manufacture its ' mix.
As of 2009, the fourth generation of Madrid's family was still involved in producing ' mix.
Despite its relatively recent mid-20th-century origin, ' is considered a traditional food.
The mix sold for preparing the ' beverage consists of finely-ground ', a form of unrefined cane sugar; ', toasted barley flour; and ground spices, usually including anise, cinnamon or ' (a native Andean spice related to cinnamon), cloves and/or peppercorns. Some preparations of ' may also include quinoa.
' is usually prepared using milk or soymilk, but water or fruit juice may also be used. The procedure is similar to that used to make hot chocolate from milk and cocoa powder rather than hot water and a mix.
' mix can be used to make fruit smoothies or as an ingredient for custard or other desserts. It is sometimes also eaten with grated cheese, or by itself.
Ready-to-drink ' can be purchased at shops and ice cream parlors in , where it is consumed by both local residents and tourists.
A number of manufacturers besides the company founded by Rafael Emilio Madrid now produce ' mix as well. Several brands are exported to other countries to serve Ecuadoran immigrant populations and other customers.