daily meal

Thursday, June 30, 2011

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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30 comments:

  1. I SO want to try this, but I'm allergic to cinnamon! It sounds SO good! Your pictures are lovely!

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  2. I love Horchata, I have a recipe I've been waiting to post for a LONG time but I haven't known how to "style" horchata...I think you did it perfectly.

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  3. Ann, you can always try it without the cinnamon... maybe add another flavoring. That sticks that you're allergic!

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  4. I had no idea Mexican Horchata was made with rice! So interesting. We have a similar drink in Italy called orzata and it is made with almonds. Strange when I think that "orzo" in Italy means barley! Maybe it was originally made with barley... no idea! ;-)

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  5. Yeah I've had that drink before! A lot of countries have their own version of horchata (aka orzata depending where you are), but they are all so different, which is funny since they all use the same name! :)

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  6. Ah, Vampire Weekend. Glad you got that in your head, cuz I love horchata, and am stoked to see a post on it! I always think it's like liquid rice pudding - and, yes, surprisingly easy to make (though it's a delayed gratification project).

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  7. This looks awesome! Love the cinnamon sticks as well!

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  8. Ooooo, I can just taste that cinnamony-sweet drink!

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  9. I'd never even heard of Horchata! What other great Mexican dishes am I missing out on. This sounds wonderful. I'm going to have to make it to find out what it tastes like.

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  10. What delicious refreshment this is! Can't find it?? The perfect solution from a foodie-make it yourself. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. I just had some horchata tonight!!!! I also just pulled a recipe up the other day for some as I was craving it really bad. Thanks for sharing I will have to give yours a try.

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  12. I have tasted this a couple of times and only vaguely knew how to make it. Thank you for sharing I want to try this.

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  13. Wow.. it's great.. I never know about this mexican beverage before.. thx for sharing this to the world

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  14. We love it so much!
    we make it all the time! it's just so good with lots of ice cubes! :)
    This recipe is almost the same we use here in Mexico :)
    Thank you for sharing your pictures are lovely!

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  15. We LOVE horchata! My hubby bought us some on the side of the road in Valencia last year and after the first sip we were stopping at every horchata stand we could find. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!

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  16. Hey, this sounds interesting. Never knew about this before. I read Ann's comment about being allergic to cinnamon,... perhaps it can be replaced with some cardamom pods? I think it'll be just as nice ... of course, I'm only imagining how this would taste since I've never had it before :D

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  17. Yeah and I also know that some places use almonds in their horcharta... so maybe try that out? It's definitely a different tasting drink... I don't think it is something everyone will like, but for those who do like it, they usually LOVE IT! :)

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  18. Wow, I've never heard of this either...but I'm ready and willing to give it a try :)

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  19. Sounds fantastic!
    Ann-I've never met anyone else allergic to cinnamon-my daughter is, too :)

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  20. We LOVE Horchata, being close to the Border we have good authentic Mexican food here, and my hubby got me hooked on this stuff! I have long wanted to know how to make it myself, this will make my hubby's day! Thanks for sharing!

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  21. I still haven't tasted horchata yet and I'm going to have to give it a go. It looks delicious and love that there are also so many different versions. It looks so refreshing.

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  22. I always have that Vampire Weekend song pop into my head when I hear Horchata! I still haven't tried it yet, but I just may have to after seeing this recipe =)

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  23. Love love love Vampire Weekend! I've never had this drink. I like all the ingredients so I'm sure I'd like the drink. Wish I could try it in Mexico or even Florida would be nice!

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  24. I have never had Horchata, but from your description it sounds like something I am definitely going to have to try!
    Thanks for introducing me to something new!

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  25. I have never had this before but it sure does sound amazing...

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  26. Yum! Love horchata...and Vampire Weekend! Looking forward to having a recipe to try at home!

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  27. very interesting drink! But it looks wonderful!

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  28. This is new to me too and it sounds really really good. Will have to try it out. Buzzed. I tried to vote on Food Frenzy but didn't see a voting option? :(

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  29. I love Horchata! I am going to have to try to make this soon, we usually just buy it at the store, but I have a feeling that homemade will be ten times better (as it usually is)!

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  30. For those who want the "instant gratification" version, you can buy the concentrate and just add water and ice when you want your 'horchata fix.' http://www.mexgrocer.com/6242.html

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