A breakfast drink that tastes like a Peruvian street corner before the city has fully woken up. Opened quinoa mingles with apple, quince and pineapple over a base of chancaca, cinnamon and clove, lightly thickened so it still pours easily. Steaming and substantial without becoming porridge, it can make an early cold morning feel surprisingly worth getting up for.
Rinse the white quinoa several times in a fine-mesh strainer, gently rubbing the grains with your hands, until the water runs nearly clear and the bitter smell is gone. Cut the apple, quince and pineapple into small, even cubes so they soften at roughly the same rate.
Place most of the water in a large pot with the chancaca, cinnamon, cloves and pineapple peel. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for
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Add the quinoa, apple, quince and pineapple to the hot base. Cook over medium-low heat for 25 to 28 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the quinoa shows its little germ ring, the quince is tender and the fruit has begun to melt into the liquid. Mash a few pieces against the side of the pot for body, but leave plenty of recognizable fruit pieces.
Dissolve the potato starch in the remaining cold water until completely smooth, then pour it slowly into the pot while stirring. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the drink looks slightly glossy and falls from the ladle in a thick, continuous stream; it should have body while still pouring easily. And that's it! Get it into a cup while it is still steaming—few things bargain better with a cold morning.
