Everyone likes a cold drink (una bebida refresca), especially as the temperatures begin to heat up as spring (la primavera) sets in and begins to offer a glimpse of the summer (el verano) to come. In the southern United States, there is a tradition of serving of iced tea, a concoction that is very sweet (muy dulce), served with care over ice with lots of lemon. The secret (el secreto) to making the sweet tea is to boil (hervir) the tea first and add lots of sugar to the heated mixture and then allow it to cool (enfriar), so that the sweetness of the sugar is fused into the taste (el sabor) of the tea. It is certainly an acquired taste, but one that all southerners know and love.
In Chile, as the temperatures start to rise (subir) now in the month of December, and everyone begins to have (tener) thoughts of the end of the school year, which brings rise to plans for the summer, to vacations to the beach or to the mountains, to the north (al norte) and to the south (al sur), to places near and to places far away (muy lejos). It also signals the time for foods (las comidas) of the spring and summer, especially the fruits and vegetables that appear with great abundance (con grande abundancia). The fresh strawberries (las frutillas frescas), the wonderful cherries, the uniquely flavorful Custard apple (la chirimoya), the ripe melon and the luscious watermelon all make their appearances at the dinner table (la mesa) and at the picnics throughout the country.
It also brings a special drink that I liken to the sweet tea of the south, a drink that is like tea, but has a grain (un grano) at the bottom and also a pealed peach complete with pit in each glass. This drink, Mote con Huesillo, is a seasonal and wonderful cool drink, one that refreshes not only the thirst (el sed) but also the body (el cuerpo), as it is more like a full days meal all in one. Served best in a large glass (un vaso grande), the mote or husked wheat, sits at the bottom (al fondo) of the glass and has more than likely been soaking in the juice of the tea to which is added a dried peach, the huesillo.
The peach also adds its sweet and refreshing flavor to the mix (la mezcla), and as you cut off bits of it with your spoon (su cuchara), the pulp adds more taste to the tea. You alternate between sips of tea with the peach and scoops (las palas) of mote with your spoon. By the time you finish the drink, you are both refreshed and full (satisfecho), it’s almost like a carnation instant breakfast drink, without the chocolate aftertaste, but complete with all the nutrients (los nutrientes) for a full day of fun.
It is a signal (una señal) of summer, a time to get ready for the relaxation of vacations to come (venir), and is truly a unique and important part of Chile that I highly recommend.
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