Akasan
Akasan is a type of Haitian shake that is made with cornflour. Haitians love to drink corn flour shakes as snacks or sometimes withmeals. What is unusual about this particular shake is that corn flour is cookedto prepare it. If you were to travel to Haiti and visit any local street vendorwho is selling food, they would likely offer you pre-made Akasan for sale. Of course, it is better to prepare Akasan at home becauseit gives you the chance to chill it in the refrigerator. Some Haitians willconsume Akasan warm, but it is more refreshing if it is cooled first. In theend, it all depends on your particular preferences. Some people love coldershakes, while others love warmer shakes. You decide what is right for you.If you live in a hot region of the world and wish to coolyour body down quickly, then a cool Akasan shake will do the trick. But if youlive in a colder region of the world, then you could warm yourself up with awarmer Akasan shake. That means Akasan is suitable to consume all year round.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups of Water
- 1 (12 oz.) Can of Evaporated Milk
- ½ Cup of Corn Flour
- 3 Anise Stars (or you can use 1 tsp. of Anise starextract)
- 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup of Sugar
- ½ tsp of Salt
- 1 tsp of Cinnamon
Instructions
- Take out a sauce pan and put it on the stove. Pour two cups of waterinto the pan. Add some Anise star extract, salt, and cinnamon into the water.Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil.
- Grab a small bowl and put it on the counter. Add water and corn flour tothe bowl. Mix the two ingredients together until they become a paste.
- Gradually drop the lumpy paste into the boiling water. Use a giant spoonto stir around the paste and break up the lumps.
- Lower the heat on the stove to medium. Let the corn flour mixturecontinue to cook for between 4 to 6 minutes. Keep stirring the ingredientstogether during these 4 to 6 minutes.
- If you used the anise stars instead of the extract, then take out theanise stars. Now add the evaporated milk and vanilla to the pan. Stir theingredients together.
- Turn off the heat to the stove. Let the Akasan sit for a couple ofminutes so that it is not too hot. At this point, you can choose whether youwant to serve the Akasan warm or cool. If you choose to serve it cool, thenyou’ll need to chill the Akasan in the refrigerator. Simply add the shake fluidto large containers and put them in the refrigerator. You can also add icecubes to the container and chill it that way too.
Video
Notes
Akasan is a thick shake that is extra sweet and super delicious. Haitians think of it as a power drink because it can give you a burst of energy from the milk, vanilla and sugar combination. Sure, it might be a sugar high, but sometimes we need those to get through the day, right?
Akasan is actually one of the easier Haitian recipes to prepare. Most of its ingredients are common everyday ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen already, such as the cinnamon, salt, sugar, milk and water. If you prepare them properly by following the steps outlined above, then you will have a strong Haitian shake that will be delightful and satisfying to consume.
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