The drink is so popular in Nicaragua, in fact, that people affectionately call it "Pinoleras" and "Pinoleros." Also called pinol or pinole, pinolillo is enjoyed both hot, like hot cocoa, and cold, like iced coffee or horchata.
A nutritious delight
Pinolillo is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, and has recently started to grow in popularity in other countries, including the United States, due to its ability to help control weight and induce satiety, in addition to its numerous health benefits.
The two main ingredients of pinolillo are cocoa and roasted purple corn that has been ground to obtain a fine flour.
Pinolillo may also contain small amounts of cinnamon for flavor and other natural ingredients like ground seeds.
An international beverage
In addition to cold and hot drinks, powdered pinolillo mix is used in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries to make foods like cereals and baked goods.
Cocoa—one of the main ingredients of pinolillo, as well as chocolate—has a long list of health benefits. And people of the 21st century are certainly not the first to recognize this.
Raw cacao beans, or cocoa beans as we often call them in America, have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples for their healing properties and nutritional value.
Cacao is a superfood with high levels of antioxidants and flavonoids. 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 plants to reproduce and survive over time.
