Do you know Pero?

When my husband first brought home a canister of Pero I thought it was weird and yucky (of course, I hadn't tasted it). He liked to drink it at night when he wanted something kind of coffee-like, but that wouldn't keep him from sleeping. Pffft! Way too weird. I mean, look what's in it: barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye. It was months later when I finally let him make me a mug. And I liked it! I really should have known better--this is not the first time I've poo-poo'ed something my husband liked, only to find out it was yummy when I finally tasted it.

Pero is an instant hot beverage, though you can pour it over ice cubes and have iced Pero. Like coffee or tea, you can have it straight, with sugar, with milk, or with both. My husband likes it with just milk, I like mine with a little bit of sugar and a little bit of milk. Also like coffee or tea, it goes remarkably well with breakfast and sweet things, which may or may not include Hershey Kisses that I eat in the pantry so my kids don't see what I'm doing.

We keep a plastic spoon in the canister (is that totally lowbrow?) and use it to measure out the powder. I use about 1 1/2 heaping spoonfulls, which is about 2 teaspoons. But really, how much you use is up to you and how strong you want your beverage.

This is how I make my Pero:

1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2-2 teaspoons Pero
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup milk

Put the Pero and sugar in your mug. Add the boiling water and stir. Add the milk and enjoy!

Look for Pero in the coffee and tea section of your grocery store (we get ours at Target).