In brief
- Champola: chilled Dominican drink, soursop pulp blended with evaporated milk and sugar.
- Origin: Dominican Republic, where soursop (guanábana) already grew before Spanish colonisation.
- Essential ingredients: soursop pulp, evaporated milk, cane sugar, crushed ice.
- Summer drink, ready in a few minutes in the blender, served immediately.
Origins and cultural history of champola
Champola is a family of sweet drinks made from fruit, milk and sugar, found in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Central America and the Mexican state of Veracruz. In the Dominican Republic, the most popular version is made with soursop (guanábana) pulp, a fruit whose name comes from Taino and which already grew on the island before the Spanish arrived.
A guava variant also exists in the Caribbean, but it remains less widespread than the soursop version, which is the reference preparation associated with the name champola in the Dominican Republic.
What are the essential ingredients of champola
Champola is made in a few minutes in the blender, with the fruit pulp well chilled and evaporated milk for the creamy texture.
- soursop (guanábana) pulp
- evaporated milk (unsweetened condensed milk)
- cane sugar
- crushed ice
- cinnamon or vanilla, optional
What to know about champola
Dominican champola is an iced, creamy drink: very cold soursop pulp (guanábana) blended with evaporated milk (unsweetened condensed milk), cane sugar and crushed ice, sometimes with cinnamon or vanilla. It is made in a few minutes in a blender and served immediately, as a summer drink. The soursop has a name of Taíno origin and was already growing in the Dominican Republic before the Spaniards arrived. The name champola actually covers a family of drinks made from fruit, milk and sugar, with a guava version too, but the soursop version remains the most popular in the Dominican Republic.
Frequently asked questions about champola
Is champola always made with soursop?
No: the name champola refers to a family of sweet drinks made from fruit and milk, also prepared with guava or other fruits depending on the country. In the Dominican Republic, the soursop version remains the most popular and the one most associated with the name.
Can evaporated milk be replaced with a plant-based milk?
Yes: unsweetened coconut milk can replace evaporated milk for a lactose-free version, at the cost of a slightly less velvety texture.
Where to find the ingredients for champola in France?
NKOSI sells the unsweetened condensed milk, cane sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla for this recipe, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
