Mexican Horchata!

"In December drinking Horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava..." Okay, so it's no longer winter and I am definitely not about to put on a full ski mask, but every time I drink Horchata, I get this song from Vampire Weekend stuck in my head! I just cannot get it out!!! I love Horchata so much though that it is worth repeating the song over and over until I grow bored with it.. :)

 I remember the first time that I sipped on a large, cold, glass of Mexican Horchata.  I was in Florida (not Mexico, ironically) and I fell in love! At first I was hesitant to try it since my cousin described it to me as being some "milky, white thing that tastes good."  Now, with that type of description I was definitely not thrilled about having some "milky, white thing" as an accompaniment to my dinner, but you know me, I'll pretty much give anything a try! And that's when it happened... I discovered my love for Horchata, and my love has been growing stronger ever since.  Unfortunately, Horchata is extremely difficult to find in Massachusetts.  There are some fast food Mexican places that sell it, but not many.  Since I was getting so sick of trying to find a place that makes it, and driving 45 minutes just to get some, I decided it was time to make my own! And oh my god... I am so glad that I did!

There are different types of Horchata, but this is more along the lines of a Mexican Horchata, which uses rice.  Some other recipes will call for almonds, barley, sesame seeds etc.

Horchata

Ingredients:
-1 cup white long-grain rice, uncooked
-5 cups water
-2-3 cinnamon sticks
-About 1 cup sugar
-Ground cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, blend the 1 cup of rice with 5 cups of water for just about a minute, or until the rice just begins to break apart (you do not want to ground it up completely otherwise it will be difficult to strain later on in the process).  Once blended, place 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks in with the rice and water mixture, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the cinnamon sticks and blend the rice and water mixture up again just to give it a little stir.  Blend in the sugar a little at a time until it is at the sweetness you prefer.  I used the whole cup but not everyone may want as much sugar.  Once the sugar has been mixed in, strain the entire mixture so that the piece of rice are removed and you are left with a milky white, water mixture (I know, sounds appetizing huh??). Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top if you want a little more cinnamon flavor, but it is not necessary.

Pour the Horchata into a glass and serve cold with some ice.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

"In December drinking Horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava.  Winter's cold is too much to handle, pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals..."

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