How to Make Tepache: A Recipe
Have you ever wanted to try fermenting a healthy and fortifying drink? Look no further than tepache! The traditional drink sold at Mexican street vendors is the perfect addition to your summer sips. Check out the history of the drink and the recipe for how to make authentic tepache.
Join the Tepache Celebration
Curious about tepache and looking to try it out? At De La Calle, we are passionate about our product, so naturally, we want to share it with everyone! Tepache brings the energy and flavor of authentic Mexican street vendors to your own backyard. This delicious drink is perfect for a summer day, and you can even make it yourself.
Gather your friends and family and brew a batch to experience the fun, fizzy, fresh flavors in tepache. The process is not as intimidating as you may think, and the spirit of the brew brings camaraderie to boot.
What Is Tepache?
So, what exactly is tepache? We’re so glad you asked. Tepache is a fermented drink, similar to kombucha, made from pineapple skins. If you are a fan of kombucha, you will love this nutrient-rich relative. Tepache is a refreshing alternative to kombucha or artificially flavored, sweetened sodas. Tepache has a unique flavor and many health benefits in each sip.
There are many vitamins you can get in each cup of tepache. It’s high in vitamin C as well as some vitamin A, B, and magnesium. The fermentation process provides hardworking probiotic qualities. Even better, there are also excellent prebiotic qualities that make it good for digestion and gut health overall.
The Celebration That Is Tepache
Traditionally sold by Mexican street vendors in baggies for travelers and locals alike to cool down with, tepache is the perfect drink to slow down and appreciate life. What a joy it is to make a refreshing beverage that nourishes your needs.
Learning to make tepache allows for the celebration of street food culture. Open the windows, call out to your neighbors, and let the celebration begin. It’s time to come together after so many months of isolation and enclosure. Tepache is an unbelievably delicious drink, and it deserves to be experienced more often. We believe in the power and importance of togetherness. When you have tepache, you can be assured you are putting something natural and healthy into your body. The authentic taste is not the only thing to celebrate about tepache.
Tepache Is Healthy, Too
Tepache is also great for your gut! More specifically, tepache is a drink made from pineapple pulp, spices, and brown sugar. It is then left to ferment in barrels at room temperature. In this process, the beverage gains prebiotic and probiotic properties, which aid in the digestion of your food while simultaneously restoring your gut health.
De La Calle’s Tepache
You can buy tepache from street vendors and sip it cold from a baggy, offering passing travelers and natives a cool refreshing break in the day. It’s healthy, slightly bubbly, and deeply delicious. De La Calle’s versions pay tribute to the regional flavors found throughout the United Mexican States, taking a modern twist to nostalgic combinations.
Perfect as a standalone sip or paired with tequila to make a cocktail, these fun and invigorating beverages will help you celebrate the everyday.
De La Calle’s tepache is a new take on a traditional, pre-Colombian Mexico probiotic beverage. De La Calle versions echo the drinks that have been made for generations, bringing flavor combinations unique to the different areas all over Mexico where tepache is crafted and celebrated.
How to Make Tepache
You’re probably ready to get fermenting yourself. We don’t blame you! Tepache, in its most basic form, is delicious, thirst-quenching, and unlike anything you may have ever tried before. You can also change the recipes slightly to create new flavors. Go subtle or go bold. You can add anything from turmeric to ginger, mint to mango—the combinations are as vast as your imagination. Try Picante Mango Citrus or Moderno Orange Turmeric—we’re positive that you’ll find something you love.
Because tepache requires fermentation, the actual recipe takes at least three days to complete. The key ingredient of pineapple peels must be kept at a temperature of 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit to obtain optimal results. A waiting period is required in order to ensure the sugar ferments. The drink will have a very low alcohol content.
If you wish to, you can add beer into your fermentation to increase the alcohol content. Otherwise, you can stay on the healthy natural wave like De La Calle does and reap the benefits of tepache without making it boozy. Either way, it is a celebration when there’s tepache in your glass and friends by your side.
Ingredients in Tepache
The ingredients that you will need to make this sweet summer sip are as follows:
- 1 ripe pineapple or just the peels
- 1 cup of Piloncillo cut in pieces or use organic sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon (optional)
- 3 cloves (optional)
- 2 quarts of filtered water
- A glass pitcher or a clay pot
- Cheesecloth or plastic wrap
To note: tepache can be made from only pineapple peels, sugar, and water, but the inclusion of spices, like clove and cinnamon, enhances the flavors.
Step 1: Peel the Pineapple
Acquire your pineapple. Organic and locally sourced is always preferred. Rinse the pineapple and cut the peel, and slice or chop the pineapple pulp.
Step 2: Combine Ingredients in Pot or Pitcher
Place the pineapple peels, the piloncillo or sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and the 2 quarts of water in your pitcher or pot.
Step 3: Ferment That, Baby!
Cover the pitcher or pot loosely. You can use cheesecloth or plastic wrap to do so. Let it sit for 24 hours.
Step 4: Remove the Foam and Keep Fermenting
Remove the white foam that formed on top of your brew. Loosely cover again and let the brew rest for another 24 to 36 hours. If you let the brew ferment for longer, it can be detrimental to the process.
Step 5: Strain the Liquid
Strain your tepache and put it into a pitcher with lots of ice. Test the batch for sweetness in case you want to add any extra sugar. Keep any excess in a container to enjoy later on.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
Now that you have fermented your tepache, the fun begins. Connect to the spirit of camaraderie and community and share the pineapple brew with your fellows. Celebrate life and the winding summer days!
There is so much to explore in the world of tepache. If this process is too much for you, or you’re simply interested in trying out some regionally diverse tepache flavors, De La Calle has a great catalog of different flavors to choose from.
De La Calle’s tepache is a modern take on a delicious probiotic beverage hailing from the traditions of pre-Colombian Mexico. Our tepache echoes traditional drinks that have been made for generations with an added flair. We bring unique flavor combinations specific to Mexican regions that pioneered tepache.
Sources:
Probiotics: What You Need To Know | NCCIH (nih.gov)
Probiotics and prebiotics: What you should know | Mayo Clinic
