FROM THE LITTLE MENU
Quentão
Caramel, ginger, cinnamon and clove simmered with cachaça: the hot drink of Brazil's June festivals.
Classic collection version
For one serving
Ingredients
- Sugar
That's 1/4 cup
12 tsp - Ginger
Freshly grated
0.5 tsp - Cinnamon0.5 pieces
- Clove1 piece
- Water80 ml / 2.71 US fl oz
- Cachaça120 ml / 4.06 US fl oz
- Orange
Peel only, no white pith
1 slice - Lime
Peel only, no white pith
1 slice - Appleoptional
Cut into thin slices
2 slices
US fl oz amounts are rounded; use ml for exact measures.
To garnishApple slice
Make it
- Put the sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a pot over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the sugar melts into a golden caramel.
- Turn off the heat and slowly pour in the water. The caramel will bubble up hard, so keep your face and hands back.
- Return to medium heat, add the cachaça and citrus peels, bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stay with the pot: keep flames from reaching inside it and never set the liquid alight.
- Turn off the heat, ladle into heatproof cups, add apple slices if you like and serve hot.
Behind the drink
No Festa Junina in Brazil is complete without it; it's often ladled out of a big jug. In much of southern Brazil, it's made with red wine instead.
Recipe reference
Scaled to one serving from Panelinha's 6-serving recipe; half a cinnamon stick and 1 clove, a little more than the original.
panelinha.com.br ↗