making chimo, Stage two begins when mo is returned 
to the fire and an alkalizing agent (perhaps sweetening 
and flavoring as well) is added. 
I observed this process in ‘Timotes, Mérida State, 
where a cocha (variant of cochura, a bateh) of chim6é was 
prepared by Balbina Ramos and her son Juan, well 
known chimocros. 
I arrived at Balbina’s house early in the morning. In 
the open patio, a small charcoal fire smouldered. The 
mo was poured into a round-bottomed cast-iron pot 
(caldero, used in Venezuela for cooking food) and put 
on the fire to heat. 
ee 
Cernada (literally *‘strained”*) stood ready, in a tall 
kerosene can. Balbina said that it consisted of equal 
weights of water and ashes, left to ‘rest’ for three days, 
then strained. 
The one invariable additive to chimo (unless wrao or 
bicarbonate of soda is used) is the cernada.” The word 
refers either to solid ash prepared for making lye or to 
the lye-water itself. It is referred to as an alifo (season- 
ing), although it is neither an aromatic nor a sweetener. 
This cernada—in this case in proportion of about one 
part to five of mé—was added slowly. The contents of 
the pot gave offan acrid odor. 
As the mixture heated, Juan sat close to the fire, stir- 
ring it (batir) constantly. Later, he stirred more slowly : 
when the fire got low, he brought a few coals from the 
kitchen on atin shovel. He said that chim6 must never be 
allowed to boil and must be set ona very low fire to pre- 
vent its burning. It burns easily and is bitter if scorched. 
As the chimo thickened and turned glossy black, it 
gave off the smell of burned cereal or of cooked sugar. 
I knew that brown sugar ( panela in brick form, papelon 
if a cone) is sometimes added to chim6, but [| had not 
noticed anything put in except the cernada. 
[ 6 ] 
