Published on May 22nd, 2016

Homemade Cancha – Toasted Chulpe Corn

Name: Homemade Cancha – Toasted Chulpe Corn
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cups maiz chulpe kernels; 2 tsp Kosher salt; Pinches of whatever spices you like: garlic powder, ground black pepper, a dash of soy sauce, ground cumin, a pinch of cayenne - whatever tickles your fancy

Among my favorite eats is seafood. Any and all manner of “mariscos”. Especially ceviche – which here in Ecuador is ever served with a generous sprinkle of crunchy little “corn nuts” called “cancha” here in my Andean mountain-top home.

By definition, those little corn nut impersonators are:

“Cancha is a popular snack in the Andean countries, often served alongside ceviche. It’s a popcorn made from a special variety of corn called maiz chulpe. The pointy kernels pop when heated, and will even jump right out of the skillet, but the inside of the kernel doesn’t burst out and puff up like regular popcorn. Instead, cancha corn gets slightly puffy and toasted, like corn nuts, and it has a starchy crunchy taste that is quite addictive.”

My 9 de Octubre market lady defines it even more simply: “maíz tostado” (toasted corn).

Thus armed with “una media libra” (a half pound) of the raw chulpe (about 15¢), I set about rustling up my own toasted chulpe goodness. Without further ado, I simply dropped a hefty dollop of vegetable oil into my “sartén” (frying pan), heated it up via a goodly flame, dumped in the chulpe and stirred. For seasoning I randomly grabbed whatever spice was handy in my kitchen – with a nod to what seemed halfway appropriate: a generous dash of garlic salt, ground black pepper, a dollop of soy sauce, and a pinch or two of ground cumin (I dunno, it just seemed “right”)

And this is the (decidedly yummerish) result:

Toasted Cancha

AuthorDyanneCategoryEcuador, Travel Eats

A bit like a hybrid mix of popcorn and corn nuts, toasted “cancha” is a popular snack in Andean countries, often served sprinkled atop ceviche or encebollado soup.

Note: you can handily check-off each ingredient below as you gather/use it:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups maiz chulpe kernels

2 tsp Kosher salt

Pinches of whatever spices you like: garlic powder, ground black pepper, a dash of soy sauce, ground cumin, a pinch of cayenne – whatever tickles your fancy

Ready? Set – GO! Click the timer to start: 15 Minutes

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add corn kernels and spices. Heat, shaking pan from time to time, until kernels start to pop.

Cover the pan loosely with a large lid so that the corn kernels don’t fly out of the pan as they “pop”, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the kernels have stopped popping and are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and toss the toasted corn with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cancha in an air-tight container.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups maiz chulpe kernels

2 tsp Kosher salt

Pinches of whatever spices you like: garlic powder, ground black pepper, a dash of soy sauce, ground cumin, a pinch of cayenne – whatever tickles your fancy

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add corn kernels and spices. Heat, shaking pan from time to time, until kernels start to pop.

Remove from heat and toss the toasted corn with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cancha in an air-tight container.

Homemade Cancha – Toasted Chulpe Corn

Ingredients Directions

About the Author

Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!