Mapuche Pine Nut Muday — Muday de Piñones Recipe

Mapuche pine nut muday drink — Mapuche pine nut muday

Mapuche pine nut muday, or muday de piñones, is a traditional drink of araucaria pine nuts boiled for about an hour, peeled, ground, and mixed with water and honey, then rested in the cold for at least 12 hours and served chilled. It takes 30 minutes of preparation and 60 minutes of cooking, and serves 20.

Pine nuts, called nguillio, come from the araucaria or pewen tree and have been a staple and sacred food of the Pewenche Mapuche for centuries.

How to Make Pine Nut Muday?

Muday, or pine nut chicha, is a natural juice that begins to ferment lightly if left to rest for a few days, developing a low alcohol content.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of pine nut muday contains approximately 200 kcal, 20 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of fat, 2 g of protein, 2 g of fiber, 15 g of sugars, 5 mg of sodium, and 0 mg of cholesterol. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Mapuche Pine Nut Muday Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes (plus 12 hours resting)
Cooking: 60 minutes
Servings: 20

Ingredients

3 kg of araucaria pine nuts (piñones)
5 liters of water
500 g of honey

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Instructions

Boil the pine nuts covered in water for about 1 hour or until they start to split. Peel them carefully by pressing from the base and grind them in a mill; in Pewenche communities they are still ground with stones.
Place the ground pine nuts in a large pot, add the water and honey, and stir gently until combined. Cover and rest in the cold for at least 12 hours. Serve the muday cold and fresh, and keep refrigerated.

Additional Tips

Strain for a lighter drink

Strain through muslin or fine cloth after resting for a clearer, silkier drink.

Let it ferment

For a light fermentation, leave it at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours before refrigerating, tasting until it reaches the flavor you like.

Grind finely

The finer the pine nuts are ground, the creamier the muday.

Original ingredient	Substitute	Ratio	Flavor note
Honey	Sugar	500 g	Neutral sweetness
Fresh	Lightly fermented	24 to 48 hours	Tangy and fizzy
Unstrained	Strained	Muslin	Lighter
Pine nuts	Wheat	3 kg	Wheat muday

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is muday?

A traditional Mapuche drink in Chile and Argentina made from grains such as corn or wheat, or seeds such as pine nuts.

2. Does pine nut muday contain alcohol?

Not when fresh. Left at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, it starts to ferment and develops a low alcohol content and a tangy, slightly fizzy taste.

3. How are araucaria pine nuts cooked and peeled?

Boil them covered in water for about an hour until they start to split, then press from the base to remove the whole seed.

4. Do I need to strain it?

It is optional; straining through muslin gives a clearer, silkier drink.

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Did You Know?

Muday is made from various grains such as corn or wheat, or seeds such as pine nuts, and is a traditional drink of the Mapuche people in Chile and Argentina.