What started as a childhood aversion metamorphosed into a healthy infatuation with the purple corn drink named chicha morada. The name is straight to the point: chicha is a fermented beverage and morado means purple. The first time I tried this ancient beverage was at a family reunion trip to Peru. We have quite an extended family and at every gathering, the same party favorites appeared: mini cucumber sandwiches and chicha morada. Trying to be respectful—but really not enjoying chicha morada—I accepted the drink when offered. I tried everything to avoid actually drinking it: sipping it really slowly, conveniently misplacing my cup, even watering a houseplant with it. As soon as a family member noticed my cup was empty, there they were with a pitcher to fill it up again. Defeated, chicha morada left a bad taste in my mouth until three years ago when my Aunt Juana came to visit. She cooked us many scrumptious Peruvian dishes, including gallons of chicha morada. I thought: “what the heck...let me give it another try.” My eyes bulged and I thought: refreshing, fruity and flavorful; this stuff is amazing! So no more watering the plants; this family recipe became a favorite to make.