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The Story
Horchata is a refreshing drink often associated with Mexico. It’s one in a family of three Mexican Auga Frescas (the others being Tamarindo and Jamaica), but horchata isn’t just a refreshment specific to Mexico. There are all kinds of different versions from all over the world, but all horchata has one commonality–a crushed seed or grain that is steeped in a liquid.
The Mexician version (also the version prominent in the United States) uses long-grain white rice as it’s base paired with cinnamon to get it a fantastic balanced taste. Often seen at taquerias, horchata is a great companion to a nice burrito or taco.
¡Provecho!
Ingredients
- 1 c long-grain white rice
- 7 Don Juan Chiles Cinnamon Sticks
- 8 c water
- ½ c sugar
- 1 tbsp Don Juan Chiles Ground Cinnamon (for garnish)
Thoughts Before Starting
- If you’d like a sweeter drink, add some more sugar (we recommend starting with a ¼ c but you can’t go wrong)
- Cheesecloth and/or a fine sieve make this process a lot easier
Prep Work
- Gather all the ingredients before starting the process.
- Rinse the white rice
Directions
- Pour the rinsed white rice and 1 cinnamon stick into a blender with 4 cups of water–pulse the blender everything’s coarsely ground (use the cinnamon stick as a reference to gauge if it’s blended enough)
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add another 4 cups water
- Let everything sit covered at room temperature for 3 hours
- After the mixture has sat, use an immersion blender to puree it until smooth
- Strain through cheesecloth and/or a fine sieve into a serving pitcher
- Mix in the sugar and let the horchata chill in the refrigerator
- Stir well before serving, and pour into ice-filled glasses
- You can garnish the drink with a cinnamon stick and a dusting of ground cinnamon
Spice it up
If you want a little more cinnamon flavor, add some ground cinnamon before putting the Horchata into the refrigerator or add another cinnamon stick with the rice.