If you have been to Hội An or Da Nang in Vietnam, you may have enjoyed the fresh corn milk sold at restaurants and convenience stores. Hội An is the birthplace of corn milk, a sweet, silky drink that is refreshing. Corn lovers will savor it to the last drop.
Also widely popular in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries is corn tea, which is believed to release toxins and impurities from the skin.
Both beverages can be made from a simple process that begins with boiling whole ears of corn, husk included. The strained cooking liquid is corn tea.
To make corn milk, the cooked kernels are removed from the ears and pureed with some corn tea, then combined with soy milk. It is delicious served hot or cold.
Corn Silk Tea & Corn Milk
Ingredients:
• 5 ears corn on the cob, with husks and silk attached
• 5 cups of water
• 1 cup soy milk
• Pinch of salt
Directions:
Wash corn, removing and discarding any dirty or blackened silk and old, dark husks. Pull off the clean husks and silk and place in large pot with corn cobs. Add water.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes, until corn is cooked.
To make corn tea: Remove all the solids from the cooking liquid; strain liquid. Best served chilled.
Makes about 5 cups.
To make corn milk: Squeeze the corn husks and silk to extract all the liquid. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Put kernels and 3 cups of corn tea into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Strain through cheesecloth back into cooking pot. Add milk and salt; bring to boil, then turn off heat. Serve hot or chilled.
Makes 6 cups.
Variation: Crack open a whole, fresh, young coconut; pour out the liquid and scrape out the tender flesh. Add both to the blender instead of soy milk. Blend until smooth. Add to the pot with the pureed corn kernels.
Next week in Very Veggie: Another corn recipe, Creamy Corn & Cauliflower Egg Drop Soup, introduces one more way to use homemade corn milk.
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international nonprofit with a local office in Kaimuki. Its mission of community service includes the promotion of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. To learn more, visit facebook.com/hawaiitzuchi or call 808-737-8885.
