Canjica (Brazilian Sweet Corn Porridge)

About This Recipe

Canjica is a traditional Brazilian sweet porridge made from white hominy corn (also called canjica in some regions, or munguza with different corn types elsewhere in Brazil), simmered slowly with coconut milk, regular milk, and sugar until thick and creamy, finished with a generous dusting of cinnamon. It's most closely associated with the Festas Juninas, Brazil's June festivals celebrating rural harvest traditions, when canjica is sold at street stalls and made in home kitchens across the country. The technique that matters is the long simmer: dried white corn needs to be soaked overnight and then cooked for well over an hour until the kernels soften completely and begin to break down slightly, thickening the milk around them into a creamy, porridge-like consistency. Coconut milk added partway through gives canjica its distinctive richness and subtle tropical flavor, distinguishing it from plainer corn porridges found elsewhere. Served warm or chilled in bowls, dusted generously with cinnamon, canjica is festival food and home comfort food both -- sweet, warming, and deeply tied to Brazilian rural and harvest traditions.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 cupsdried white hominy corn(soaked overnight)
• 6 cupswater
• 1 cancoconut milk
• 2 cupswhole milk
• 1 cupsugar
• 1cinnamon stick
• 3whole cloves
• 0.25 tspsalt
• 2 tbspground cinnamon(for topping)
• 0.25 cupshredded coconut(optional garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the corn

   Drain soaked corn and combine with water, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

2. 2

   Simmer until tender

   Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 60-75 minutes until the corn kernels are very soft and starting to break down.

3. 3

   Add dairy

   Remove cinnamon stick and cloves. Add coconut milk, whole milk, sugar, and salt.

4. 4

   Continue simmering

   Simmer 20-25 more minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened to a creamy porridge consistency.

5. 5

   Adjust sweetness

   Taste and adjust sugar as needed.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls, dust generously with ground cinnamon, and top with shredded coconut if using. Serve warm or chilled.

Variations

• •

  Use canned hominy for a faster version, adjusting simmer time down significantly since it's already cooked.

• •

  Add a can of sweetened condensed milk for an even richer, sweeter version common in some households.

• •

  Serve chilled in the summer instead of warm, a popular way to enjoy leftovers.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; it thickens further when chilled. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk to loosen it.

Frequently Asked Questions