A creamy, sweet, ice-cold beverage made from soaked rice blended with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. Mexican horchata is refreshingly smooth with a delicate floral sweetness that makes it the perfect cooling companion to spicy food on hot afternoons.
Nutrition & Info
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then place it in a large bowl with the cinnamon stick. Pour five cups of warm water over the rice and cinnamon, cover, and let soak for at least four hours or overnight.
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2
Pour the soaked rice along with its cinnamon-infused soaking water into a blender. Blend on high speed for three to four minutes until the mixture is as smooth as possible with no visible rice grain pieces remaining.
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3
Strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large pitcher. Press and squeeze the solids firmly to extract every drop of the creamy rice milk, then discard the remaining pulp.
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4
Add sugar and vanilla extract to the strained rice milk and stir vigorously until the sugar dissolves completely. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired, remembering that the ice will dilute the drink slightly when served.
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5
Add three cups of cold water to the pitcher and stir well to reach the desired consistency. Horchata should be creamy but easily drinkable, similar to thin milk in texture, not thick like a smoothie or shake.
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6
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least two hours. Serve over plenty of ice in tall glasses, stir well before pouring as rice starch settles naturally, and dust the top with a pinch of ground cinnamon for presentation.
Did You Know?
Mexican horchata is actually quite different from the original Spanish horchata, which is made from tiger nuts. When Spanish colonizers arrived in Mexico and could not find tiger nuts, resourceful Mexican cooks substituted rice and added cinnamon, creating an entirely new beverage.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- blender
- fine mesh strainer
- pitcher
- cheesecloth
The Story Behind Horchata
Mexican horchata evolved from the Spanish drink horchata de chufa, which was made from tiger nuts. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they adapted the concept using locally available rice and Mexican cinnamon. Mexican cooks added their own touch with vanilla, another native Mesoamerican ingredient. The drink became a staple of the agua fresca tradition, sold in large glass barrels at markets and taquerias throughout the country. Today horchata is inseparable from Mexican food culture, served alongside tacos, tortas, and other street foods as the ideal sweet counterpoint to savory and spicy dishes.
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