Ardea is one of my favorite side characters from Battle Chef Brigade. She is Thrash’s wife and soon to be chieftain of their hometown. She may only make a small appearance but that brief interaction was enough for me to fall in love with her character. Honestly, I’d love to just be adopted by this family of orcs. Near the end of Thrash’s chapter, she joins Thrash in Brigade Town. During the visit, they have a small challenge in the practice kitchen. Their children play the role of judging during this challenge and they want taka berry.
We are nearing the end of Battle Chef Buffet but I still have a few recipes up my sleeve. One dish that caught my eye was Ardea’s Mote con Taka Berry. At first, I was unsure of what this could possibly be and was surprised after I did a bit of research. Mote con huesillo is a very popular summertime non-alcoholic drink in Chile. It is typically a liquid base made with dried peaches and sugar. Once that mixture is prepared, it is served in a cup with cooked barley and the rehydrated peaches. With this information, I decided to make my own version much closer to the game. This recipe is very easy but requires a bit of planning ahead. The drink is super refreshing and like nothing I’ve had before!
Ingredients:
6 dried strawberries
2 tbsp dried cherries
5 dried peaches halves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup pearled barley
fresh raspberries
fresh blackberries
Soak the strawberries, cherries, peaches, and cinnamon stick in 2 cups of water overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, begin by cooking the pearled barley. Follow the instructions on the barley package and then set aside to cool.
Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, heat until the sugar turns into a light brown liquid. Near the end when the edges start to brown, feel free to swirl it slightly to get it all to turn to liquid. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Remove the strawberries, cherries, peaches, and cinnamon stick from the water. Carefully add the water into the saucepan with the caramel syrup. The caramel will have hardened up from cooling so it should begin to dissolve into the water as it reheats. Return the saucepan onto medium-high heat and stir the water until the caramel has completely dissolved. Add the additional 2 cups of water, berries, peaches, and cinnamon stick to the saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and allowed to cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until cold. In a serving glass, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooked barley. Add 2 to 4 berries to the cup. Top off with the cooled juice. Taste and season with additional sugar or honey to your liking. Serve with a spoon.
Mote con Taka Berry
Ingredients
- 6 dried strawberries
- 2 tbsp dried cherries
- 5 dried peach halves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup pearled barley
- fresh raspberries
- fresh blackberries
Instructions
- Soak the strawberries, cherries, peaches, and cinnamon stick in 2 cups of water overnight in the refrigerator.
- The next day, begin by cooking the pearled barley. Follow the instructions on the barley package and then set aside to cool.
- Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, heat until the sugar turns into a light brown liquid. Near the end when the edges start to brown, feel free to swirl it slightly to get it all to turn to liquid. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Remove the strawberries, cherries, peaches, and cinnamon stick from the water. Carefully add the water into the saucepan with the caramel syrup. The caramel will have hardened up from cooling so it should begin to dissolve into the water as it reheats. Return the saucepan onto medium-high heat and stir the water until the caramel has completely dissolved. Add the additional 2 cups of water, berries, peaches, and cinnamon stick to the saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and allowed to cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until cold.
- To Serve: In a serving glass, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooked barley. Add 2 to 4 berries to the cup. Top off with the cooled juice. Taste and season with additional sugar or honey to your liking. Serve with a spoon.