Champús
A South American corn drink with regional and ritual variations.
Champús is a South American beverage found mainly in Ecuador, Peru, and southwestern Colombia. Its base is corn, combined with fruits like lulo (also called naranjilla), pineapple, quince, or guanábana. It is sweetened with panela and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and orange tree leaves. The drink's origins are uncertain, with some theories pointing to Ecuadorian indigenous funeral rituals and others to Colombia or Africa.
Regional recipes differ. In Peru, champús is usually served warm and made with apple, guanábana, and quince instead of lulo. Street vendors called champuseras—a familiar sight in Lima—sell it and pass the recipe down through generations. In Ecuador, the drink uses maize flour, panela, and orange tree leaves. It is often part of funeral rites, as many indigenous traditions consider it a favorite of the dead. In Colombia, crushed maize is used along with panela, lulo, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, and orange leaves. In the southern departments of Nariño and Cauca, it is mainly a Christmas drink. In Nariño, it may also include cedrón and congona leaves. In the Valle del Cauca department, it is served very cold and popular year-round. In parts of Peru and southern Colombia, cooked maize called mote is added, making the champús thicker and turning it into a dessert.
The word’s origin is unknown, but several theories exist. In 1960, Daniel Guevara noted that in Ecuador, indigenous tribes used champús in funeral rituals, similar to chicha and guarapo. Leonardo Tascón’s *Diccionario of Vallecaucanismos* suggests the Spanish gave it the name, meaning “something done wrong, a mixture of everything,” because they found the blend unpleasant. Others trace it to Africa. The 2007 *Seminario de la Historia de la Cocina Peruana* describes a champusera with a tallow candle lamp and an Afro-descendant boy reciting a copla to advertise the drink. Nicomedes Santa Cruz’s *Canto Negro* (2004) also places this figure in traditional Afro-Peruvian songs. Diaz (2018) argues the most convincing theory comes from Quechua, where “chapuy” means “to make dough,” the drink’s main ingredient. Ceballos, Micanquer, Perez, Lasso, and Zambrano (2011) explain that in Colombia, champús originated with low-income families. They describe it as gathering corn’s energy, sugarcane’s sweetness, the strength and aroma of cloves and cinnamon, and a secret touch from orange leaves. Th
- main_ingredients
- Corn, panela, fruits (lulo, pineapple, quince, guanábana), cinnamon, cloves, orange tree leaves
Lore & Background
Champús is a traditional drink whose origins are uncertain. The word 'champús' has several proposed etymologies: Daniel Guevara in 1960 described it as a drink used by indigenous tribes in Ecuador in funeral rituals, similar to chicha and guarapo. Leonardo Tascón's 'Diccionario of Vallecaucanismos' suggests it is a Spanish word meaning 'something done wrong, a mixture of everything,' given by the Spanish due to the unpleasant mixture of many things. Others consider it an African word; the Seminario de la Historia de la Cocina Peruana (2007) mentions a 'champucera' who sold champús with an Afro-Descendant boy reciting a copla.
Reader's Guide
Champús holds cultural significance across Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, with each region adapting the drink to local traditions. In Ecuador, it is prepared with maize flour, panela, and lemon tree leaves, and is common in funeral rites as many indigenous traditions consider it a favorite of the dead. In Peru, it is typically served warm, using apple, guanábana, and quince instead of lulo, and sold by a champusera, a typical figure of Lima's landscape who passes down the recipe to younger generations. In Colombia, crushed maize is used with panela, lulo, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, and orange tree leaves; in the southern Departments of Nariño and Cauca it is mainly a Christmas drink, while in Valle del Cauca it is served very cold and popular year-round. In some regions of Peru and southern Colombia, the drink is made with mote (cooked maize) making it thicker and consumed as a dessert. Ceballos et al. (2011) note that in Colombia, champús comes from low-income families and gathers the energy of corn, sweetness of sugar cane, strength and aroma of cloves and cinnamon, and the secret touch of orange leaves; it cures both thirst and hunger. The drink's disputed etymology reflects its multicultural roots, blending indigenous, Spanish, and African influences.
Did You Know?
- In Ecuador, champús is common in funeral rites because many indigenous traditions consider it a favorite of the dead.
- In Peru, champús is sold by a champusera, a typical figure of Lima's landscape who passes the recipe to younger generations.
- In the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, champús is served very cold and is popular at any time of the year.
- The word 'champús' may come from the Quechua 'chapuy,' meaning 'to make dough,' which is the main ingredient of the drink.
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