User:Sheila Lubin/sandbox

Akasan is a traditional Haitian soft and creamy shake, made from evaporated milk, corn flour, star anise, vanilla, and cinnamon. It can be consumed cold or warm. They even have a vegan one. Haitians love to drink Akasan, they have it as breakfast or snack all year round. This drink is rich in flavor. Nobody knows when Akasan was first created. People from other nations tried it and loved it.

Definition
Akasan is a sweet drink (also known as Haitian shake) (3). It can either be drunk warm or cold. Haitians have it as breakfast beverage, snack, or just a drink to go with their meals (1). This traditional Haitian drink has the consistency of a thick milkshake (2). It has the consistency of a pudding made from corn flour, evaporated milk, and spices (2).

Origin
Akasan is a popular beverage from Haiti, a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. No one can say for sure the origin of this popular Haitian drink (2).

Ingredients

 * 2 ½ Cups of Water
 * 1 (12 oz.) Can of Evaporated Milk or Almond milk
 * ½ Cup of Corn Flour
 * 3 Anise Stars (or you can use 1 tsp. of Anise star extract)
 * 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
 * ¼ tsp of Nutmeg
 * ½ tsp of Pink Salt
 * 1 tsp of Cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks (4).

Step-by-step instructions

 * In a saucepan with a thick base, fill it with half the water, salt, cinnamon and star anise pods to a boil.
 * In a bowl, combine the corn flour and the remaining water into a paste.
 * Slowly add the batter to the boiling liquid in the pot and whisk constantly to remove any lumps.
 * If necessary, use a hand blender after removing the star anise.
 * Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
 * Remove the star anise and add the vanilla and evaporated milk.
 * Mix well then serve (4).

Different ways to drink Akasan
They drink hot, cold, vegan Akasan. Some people would drink it no matter how it is. However some people would drink it seasonally. It depends on the person's preferences or the seasons that they are in (5). Akasan is suitable to consume all year round (3).