Guarapo (drink)
{{Short description|Sugar cane-based beverage}}
{{Infobox food|image=Vendedor de Guarapo.jpg|name=Guarapo|type=Fermented beverage|caption=A vender sells guarapo in Colombia.|region=Latin America|main_ingredient=Sugarcane juice}}
Guarapo (from the Quechua warapu){{Cite web |last= |first= |title=guarapo |url=https://dle.rae.es/guarapo |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Diccionario de la lengua española |language=es}} is a Latin American fermented alcoholic drink derived from sugarcane juice.
"Guarapo" is also a Spanish word for sugarcane juice itself, but in much of Latin America it is used to refer specifically to the fermented product.{{Cite web |title=guarapo, guarapa |url=https://www.asale.org/damer/guarapo |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Diccionario de americanismos |language=es}} The Quechua word warapu signifies the juice of crushed cane.{{Cite web |last=Baldoceda |first=Ana |date=1999 |title=El Diccionario de la Real Academia Española y sus inconsecuencias en voces nativas peruanas |url=https://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/bibvirtual/publicaciones/alma_mater/2000_n18-19/diccionario1.htm |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Alma Mater}}
Variations
= Mexico =
In the Mexican state of Tabasco, during the Spanish colonial period in the 16th century, when sugarcane was introduced from the Caribbean, the Chontal Maya people began to produce the drink by fermenting sugarcane juice. It became very popular among the Indigenous population, who consume it primarily at parties and celebrations, including Day of the Dead. They also produce guarapo de maíz, or corn guarapo, which is made by fermenting toasted corn, panela, and water.{{Cite web |last=Jimenez Reyes |first=Jose Fco. |date=2011-01-18 |title=El Altar de Dia de Muertos en Tabasco |url=http://www.raicestabasco.com/2010/10/el-altar-de-dia-de-muertos-en-tabasco.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118093557/http://www.raicestabasco.com/2010/10/el-altar-de-dia-de-muertos-en-tabasco.html |archive-date=2011-01-18 |website=Raices Tabasco |language=es}}
= Cuba =
In Cuba, the drink is prepared in rural communities by dissolving honey or panela in water and fermenting it with a type of yeast commonly referred to as cunchos or supias. This yeast is often shared among those who produce the beverage. It is also common to produce the beverage by crushing sugarcane in a trapiche or mill, either drinking it fresh or fermenting it. This is also how the typical Cuban drink aguardiente is produced.
= Central and South America =
Guarapo is particularly well known the Latin American nations of Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru. Venezuelans also refer to coffee mixed with a large amount of water as guarapo. Colombians generally drink guarapo, fermented with yeast known as cunchos in clay vessels.{{Cite web |last=Ramírez R. |first=Diana |date=2019-04-02 |title=Bebida histórica: Guarapo |url=https://colombia.gastronomia.com/noticia/8839/bebida-historica-guarapo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716010352/https://colombia.gastronomia.com/noticia/8839/bebida-historica-guarapo |archive-date=2019-07-16 |website=Gastronomia |language=es}} The Festival of Guarapo is held in the Colombian town of Tuluá.