How to through the long winter?
Facing a chilly winter, a lot of energy is needed to fight the cold. A Ocoopa hand warmer will warm the body and a hot drink will please the taste buds at the same time. People across the world know this secret and have created various drinks to accompany them through the long winters.
If you don’t have a hand warmer right now. Here, we pick a few typical and popular winter drinks, telling the stories behind them and offering recipes so you can have a taste yourself.
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Mulled wine with cranberries (Europe)
Mulled wine is a lovely drink for the winter holiday season, especially around Christmas.
Warming a sachet of fragrant mulling spices in some cider or wine will take you to beverage heaven. Just the smell of the mixture simmering on the stove will bring an instant holiday atmosphere to the home. Wine was first recorded as a spiced, hot beverage in the first century. Mulled wine with cranberries has a sweet, spicy and comforting taste. The cranberry juice gives it a nice tangy flavor. It’s recognized as the best drink to serve guests as they come in from the cold.
Ingredients:
Cranberry juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, red wine, fresh cranberries
Directions:
Combine the cranberry juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks and star anise in a large saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the wine and cranberries and simmer again. Serve warm.
Hot cocoa with toasted marshmallows (worldwide)
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Ponche (Mexico)
Ponche is a warm tropical-fruit punch, traditionally enjoyed in Mexico during Christmas time.
The base of Mexican ponche consists of piloncillo, a dark brown unrefined cane sugar, mixed with water and cinnamon sticks. Adding guavas and tejocotes, orange-like fruits with an apple-pear taste, is a must. The tejocote’s soft flesh turns almost creamy while soaking in the ponche. Guavas add the right amount of tang and citrusy perfume.
It’s also possible to add other winter fruits, like apples, oranges, raisins or walnuts.
Ingredients:
Water, cinnamon sticks, tejocotes, guavas, apples, sugar cane, piloncillo, rum or brandy (optional)
Directions:
Boil the tejocotes and cinnamon sticks in water until the tejocotes are soft.
Remove the fruit from the pot, let it cool and then peel the skin off. Slice the tejocotes and remove the seeds.
Place the tejocotes back into the pot of cinnamon-water and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
To serve the ponche, remove the cinnamon sticks and ladle it directly into mugs, making sure to include the chunks of cooked fruit.
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