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Many people like the sweetness of the drink and how refreshing it is. Horchata’s taste of tradition makes it more than just a drink—it’s a refreshing historical experience for many Latin cuisine enthusiasts, including many Latino and Latina immigrants who have brought the recipe to the U.S.
“Horchata is special to me because [of] its culture and [the fact that it is] passed down through generations,” Marjorie Quizphi Huartacha (9) said.
Horchata began as a Mexican drink that appeared in the 16th century. One interesting fact about the word “Horchata” is that this word was originally called “Hordeata,” which translates from Latin to “drink made of barley.” Many different versions of this beverage have become popular all around the Spanish-speaking world over the centuries. For example, in Spain, horchata makers use tiger nuts instead of rice as the main ingredient that Mexicans use. The ingredient that gives the drink its signature flavor, though, is cinnamon. Overall, horchata is a refreshing drink with its many cultures and traditions.
¨I like to eat chicken quesadillas with horchata,” Columbia Heights resident Gitssel Lopez Pizano said.
Anyone can make horchata from scratch at home, but some people are so busy that they have neither the time nor the ingredients to make it, so instead, there are several options for buying ready-made horchata either at a Hispanic grocery or restaurant.
Ingredients:
- One cinnamon stick
- 8 cups water
- 4 cups of Rice
- 5 cups of regular milk or you can use dairy-free milk
- 2 tablespoons Vanilla (optional)
- One 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
- Sweetened condensed milk ( until it’s to your liking)
Instructions:
- Put the rice in a pot that holds 1 gallon of liquid
- Fill the pot with water, add the cinnamon stick into the pot and let it sit overnight
- Put rice, water and cinnamon sticks that sat overnight in a blender to blend it well
- Use a mesh strainer to strain the drink
- Add evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk
- Stir well before serving, and add ice as well to make the drink nice and cool
If you don’t have time to cook the rice, then you could try this alternative recipe:
Ingredients:
- Leftover cooked white rice
- 4 cups of Water
- One stick of cinnamon
- Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of vanilla (optional)
Instructions:
- Add 2 cups of water, cinnamon, vanilla(optional) and rice in the blender
- Blend until the rice is all chopped and blended
- Use a mesh strainer to strain the mixture and to make sure there are no chunks
- Add sugar and mix until it’s dissolved
- Add the remaining water and stir well to combine
- Serve it over ice to make the drink cool.
The second recipe is different from the first one and uses granulated sugar instead of milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. The second recipe is an alternative to the first one because it’s way easier and faster to make than the first one. Horchata expresses culture, tradition and comfort, and it can remind you of a piece of your memories. Special with its creamy texture and balanced sweetness, combined with a tiny hint of cinnamon and vanilla, it can also go with any meal, or you can drink it like it’s a small snack. It’s best to drink during the summer as a sweet thirst-quencher, but really, it can be enjoyed at all times of the year, especially when it’s made at home.
“I prefer homemade [horchata] because it’s healthier since you know what ingredients you [are using] and how you [made] it,” Quizphi Huartacha (9) said. “When buying at a store, you don’t know what they used.”
Better yet, it can also turn a task in the kitchen into a communal experience. You can spend time teaching your children to make horchata at home, and hopefully, they’ll pass it on when they’re grown and have children of their own.
