The drink is so popular in Nicaragua, in fact, that people affectionately call it "Pinoleras" and "Pinoleros". Also called pinol or pinole, the pinolillo is enjoyed both hot, like hot cocoa, and cold, such as iced coffee or horchata.
A nutritious delight
Pinolillo is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and has recently begun to gain popularity in other countries, including the United States, due to its ability to help control weight and promote satiety, along with its numerous health benefits.
The two main ingredients of pinolillo are cocoa and toasted purple maize that has been ground into a fine flour.
Pinolillo can also contain small amounts of cinnamon for flavor and other natural ingredients like ground seeds.
An international beverage
Besides cold and hot drinks, the pinolillo powder mixture is used in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries to make foods such as cereals and baked products.
Cocoa—one of the main ingredients of pinolillo, as well as chocolate—has a long list of health benefits. And people in the 21st century are certainly not the first to recognize this.
Raw cacao beans, or cacao beans as we often call them in the Americas, have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples for their healing properties and nutritional value.
Cacao is a superfood with a high content of antioxidants and flavonoids. It is found to some extent in almost all fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are responsible for giving flowers their color. And color is what attracts pollinators to plants, allowing them to reproduce and survive over time.
