Quimbolitos

Today we had Quimbolitos, which are little cake items-they're not desserts and they're not a meal. They are cooked in a steamer. You make this kind of cake batter with a few raisins in it, put it in an achira leaf, wrap it up like a tamale, and steam it until it's done.

The achira leaf gives it a kind of mild citrussy flavor, more sweet than savory. You eat Quimbolitos either for breakfast or at evening tea time. Dinner is kind of optional here, I think most households opt for something similar to what is called "onces" in Chile. You usually have bread, cheese, maybe some cold cuts, jam, and if you want, some of the leftovers from lunch. This is all served with coffee or tea, or sometimes colada, a drink I'll discuss in another post.