Charamusca is a popular fruit drink from El Salvador made from fruit juice, and sometimes milk, which is frozen and served in a plastic bag.
There are many different popular flavors of charamusca including strawberry, mango and banana. Chunks of fruit or nuts may also be added into the liquid before freezing.
Origin & Cultural Significance
The origin of charamusca is unknown but it could potentially be traced back to the Spanish colonies, when the first sugar producers arrived in El Salvador.
The name refers to the popular street soccer played in El Salvador called ‘charamusqueada’. Charamusca is a popular sweet snack sold by street vendors
These drinks are very popular in Salvadorian households, and can be bought from street vendors.
Similar drinks can be found in different parts of Latin America. For instance in Chile, helado en bolsa are elongated, milk-based ice cubes which are made in the same way.

Salvadoran Charamusca Recipe
Ingredients
- Milk - 2 cups
- Water - 1 cup
- Strawberries - 2 cups
- Caster sugar - 1 cup
- Lime juice - 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
- Freezer bags
Instructions
- Add the water, sugar and strawberries to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Sieve the strawberry liquid into a jug.
- Add the milk and other ingredients into the jug and stir well to combine.
- Pour into the freezer bags until almost full and close the bags.
- Leave all of the filled bags in the freezer overnight, until solid.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 2g