Why Rompope is Mexico’s Best-Kept Secret Liqueur
Rompope (Mexican eggnog) is an alcoholic beverage prepared with egg yolks.
It is mixed with vanilla, almonds, sugar, and milk, among other ingredients.
This creamy liqueur is usually served after certain meals, making it an excellent digestive. It has an opaque yellow color and usually has a thick texture.
In addition, it can be consumed in different presentations, such as desserts, cakes, jellies, salad dressings, and ice cream.
Rompope became popular in colonial times with the arrival of the Franciscan friars.
They began to preach Catholicism, and with this, they built convents and fused Mexican and Spanish gastronomy.
The story goes that, in the Convent of Santa Clara, in Puebla, the nuns prepared exquisite dishes.
Among many recipes, they created rompope with a mixture of walnuts and rum, giving the drink that unique touch we know today.
Does Rompope have a lot of alcohol?
The alcohol content of rompope is around 15%, a little more than cider.
For this reason, you should be careful when consuming it if you are sensitive to alcoholic beverages. It is not advisable to offer it to children.
The most common alcohol used for elaboration is rum, although brandy is another good option.
Difference between Rompope and Eggnog
There’s really not a significant difference other than the color (the original rompope is yellow). Both drinks share almost the same ingredients.
Although rompope always has rum or brandy, eggnog is sometimes alcohol-free.
It is believed that eggnog was created in early medieval times by British monks. The recipe was then introduced to America when the Spaniards arrived.
The best rompope is sold in typical Mexican candy stores.
How to make Rompope
Here is a quick and easy recipe to prepare rompope at home. Take note:
Ingredients
- Four cups of whole milk
- 250 grams of sugar
- A pinch of baking soda
- One cinnamon stick
- Two cloves
- 12 egg yolks
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- One teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup rum or brandy
Preparation
- Mix the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, nutmeg, and baking soda in a saucepan and stir well. Place over high heat until it boils.
- Lower the flame and let it cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes so that the preparation absorbs the flavors of the cinnamon and the cloves.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Then, beat the egg yolks until they have a pale yellow tone.
- Slowly pour the yolk mixture into the cold milk and stir.
- When everything is incorporated, put the pot back on the stove over medium-high heat, stirring constantly—Cook the mixture and stir to avoid curdling for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain through a sieve to remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.
- Add rum (or brandy) and vanilla, and mix well. Pour the mixture into another container with a lid, let it cool for a few hours, and then refrigerate. The rompope tastes better if left to ferment for a few days.
Finally, it can be served with nutmeg or ground cinnamon as garnish. Enjoy!
