A horchata experiment

So as it turns out, horchata is not something I enjoy alotta. It is liquid cinnamon and too much for my mild sweet-tooth. To the drink’s credit, it was cool and refreshing and I can see its appeal on a hot summer day. Growing up in the Southwest, horchata was no further than two miles away at anytime. It could be the 22 years I’ve waited for my first sample that killed the appetite.

To be sure I was getting the real deal (the first one I tried, I bought from a Mexican food restaurant) and not getting cheated out of a tasty, traditional beverage, I made three recipes at home, and now I’m sure. However, three guests that also sampled my home-made horchata enjoyed it, responding with “Mmmmms.” (I guess it’s me) For those lovers of the old-world drink, the Moors who occupied Spain all those years ago are to thank. They brought the tiger nut plant (it grows in the ground like peanuts) to Spain, where it grew healthily and was utilized for a drink called horchata, according to an article in The Sydney Sun Herald.

If you may have already guessed, when the Spaniards starting colonizing The Americas they brought the horchata techniques (grounding the nuts and soaking in water) with them and just changed the ingredients. The new ingredient was rice, and it is still found in the popular recipes of Mexican horchata today. The drink is usually made with a combination of rice, water, vanilla and sugar, but also can include milk, almonds or other flavorings. I’ve posted the links to the recipes I used at the bottom of the page. Enjoy (or if you're like me, don't!)