Easy Panamanian Chicheme Recipe (2024)

Delicious Panamanian chicheme drink, made with corn and milk plus a few spices, and full of flavor. Try it. I assure you that you will love it!

What is chicheme?

Chicheme is a drink made with broken corn kernels, milk and spices. In Panama, the best known chicheme is the one they make in La Chorrera.

There are variations of it throughout the country.

Corn is one of the most used ingredients in Panamanian cuisine, from tortillas, bollos, sweet corn fritters, to drinks like this one.

In some parts of the country it´s served cold or hot like porridge. This is how I learned to eat, because at home my mother does it that way. After you put it in the fridge then you can just drink it. Although sometimes I prefer to heat it up.

When I was a child, Chicheme was part of the Saturday menu at home. My mom made a giant pot and we ate it with hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.

This is a very easy recipe to make, only that its normal cooking time is somewhat long. Today I'm going to show you 3 ways to prepare it and two of them are made in less time and without much supervision.

📋 Ingredients for the recipe

To prepare this recipe you will need: a bag of chicheme, evaporated milk, condensed milk, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, vanilla, and water. In the recipe card below you will have the complete measurements of each of these ingredients.

As for utensils, you will need a strainer or a bowl, and for the rest, it will depend on the cooking method you are going to use.

Today I will explain 3 different methods, on the stove, using a slow cooker, and an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot - which has arrived in Panama to make your life easier YAY!).

If you are preparing it on the stove, then you will need a large pot and ladle for stirring.

If you are going to use a slow cooker, and a ladle. In the case of the pressure cooker + the ladle.

Once you have all the ingredients and implements, let´s get to work!

📝 Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1: Verify that the chicheme does not have any pebbles or any grain that is not good and you are going to remove it.

Then, wash the corn kernels, this is to remove any residue they may have. You can use a strainer or just in a bowl and run water over them until the water runs clear.

Now for the cooking, the steps for each one are the same, the difference comes from the cooking time that each one will have. And how long should you watch it.

My favorite methods of cooking Panamanian chicheme are with the pressure cooker or the slow cooker. These two are the ones that require the least supervision time.

Step 2: For all 3 methods we are going to add the corn kernels together with a cinnamon stick. Then you add water until the grains are completely covered (approx 6 cups of water).

Pressure Cooker Cooking Instructions

Step 3: Select the pressure option (normal or high pressure), and move the knob to the seal position. Set the cook time to 35 minutes. It will take approximately 12 minutes to reach pressure.

Once the time is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release its pressure for at least 10 minutes.

If you open the valve once the time is up, the liquid will probably come out of the valve, and then you will have to clean the lid and what you have around the pot (it happened to me before! 😅).

Step 4: After 10 minutes have passed, turn the valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. When the pin is lowered you can uncover the pot and remove the cinnamon stick.

You will see that the grain has absorbed almost all the water that you added.

Check that the grain is soft but not falling apart, use a spoon and press a grain if it falls apart with a little pressure it is ready.

If you consider that the grain is still hard, you can put it in for an additional 5 minutes, but check that it is not dry otherwise you will have to add a little more water.

Step 5: Now, you add the ingredients one by one and mix between each ingredient (evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon powder), this ensures that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Remember to turn off the pressure cooker.

With the can condensed milk is more than enough to sweeten it. In case you try it and need more, you can adjust the sugar to your liking. If you prefer, you can add only half of the condensed milk and try it to your liking.

Step 6: Once it cools, it tends to thicken. Now, transfer it to a jar, and once it is cool, store it in the fridge. This drink is served cold. Or, as I mentioned before, I eat it warm, freshly made.

Try it. I assure you that you will love it!

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions

Select the "LOW" cooking option, cover the pot and let it cook for approximately 8 hours. This time will ensure that the corn kernels are soft when you add the rest of the ingredients.

I suggest you do this at night before bed, so it cooks while you sleep. And in the morning you will have your kitchen with a delicious aroma and it will only be a matter of preparing it to eat.

Once 8 hours have passed, remove the cinnamon stick. Check that the grain is soft but not falling apart, use a spoon and press a grain if it falls apart with a little pressure it is ready.

Now you turn off the slow cooker and add the ingredients one by one and mix between each ingredient (evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon powder), this ensures that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

With the condensed milk it is more than enough to sweeten it. In case you try it and you need more, you can adjust the sugar to your liking.

Now you transfer it to a jar and once it is cool you store it in the fridge. This drink is served hot or cold.

Instructions for cooking on the stove

In a large pot, cover and cook for an hour over medium heat. You have to make sure that the water does not evaporate. The corn must always be covered with water. Every 15-20 minutes check that the pot has enough water. If you need, add more.

Check that the kernels are soft but not falling apart, if it is still a little hard, and it needs water, add a little more and let it cook for about 10 more minutes. Repeat this step until the grain is soft.

Once it's done, turn off the heat and add the ingredients one by one and mix between each ingredient (evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon powder), this ensures that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Tips and substitutions

• If it's too runny, you can cook them for a few minutes to thicken. This applies to any of the cooking methods.
  • In the pressure cooker, select the sauté function and leave it for a few minutes.
  • You can put it on "HIGH" for a few minutes in the slow cooker, checking the point of thickness you prefer.
  • On the stove over medium heat for a few minutes, checking the point of thickness you prefer.
• Condensed milk: If you don't have it, you can use two cans of evaporated milk. To sweeten, you can start with 1/2 cup of sugar and add additional to taste.
• To give it a different flavor profile, you can use coconut milk to give a Caribbean touch to the matter.
• If you would like a vegan option, you should only replace the cow's milk with almond, coconut, or even cashew milk. It will taste different, but I am sure it will be good.
• You want to make it a little less caloric, replace the condensed milk and evaporated milk with skim milk. You can use sweeteners like stevia or Splenda and sweeten to taste.

Storage tips

• Storage: Once cool, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or jar with a lid for up to 3 days. If it lasts that long 😋
• Reheat: In case you like to eat it hot like me. You can use a microwave for a minute and a half and you can add a splash of milk to thin it out.
• If you prefer, you can blend it with a little more milk so that it is more liquid and you don't have to eat it with a spoon.

If you’ve tried the Panamanian Chicheme recipe or any other recipe on Nashi Food, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! We love to hear about your experience making it.