The horchata drink, also known as orxata, is a sweet drink popular in Latin America, Spain, and parts of Africa. This drink is made from rice in Latin America, but in Spain and Africa it is made from chufa/tiger nut/Cyperus esculentus. The traditional recipe always uses cinnamon and water, but there are plenty of other variations. Try making them with these basic recipes, then you're free to get creative with different types of nut milk and other flavor enhancers, like grated lime!
Ingredients
Rice based horchata
- 1 cup raw long grain white rice
- 5 cups water (3 cups warm, 2 cups cold)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2/3 cup sugar
- Cinnamon powder or 1 stick for garnish
Chufa-based horchata
- 1 cup chufa
- 4 cups hot (not boiling) water
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making Rice-Based Horchata
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
Authentic recipe using long grain white rice. You can also make horchata from other types of rice, but remember that different rice tastes different too.
- Indian basmati rice is a type of long grain white rice. Your horchata will taste more like rice if you use this type, so you may have to balance it with cinnamon.
- Long grain brown rice has a slightly nutty taste. The taste will be different from authentic horchata, but it can actually be an interesting variation on the classic drink.
- If you can find Mexican cinnamon (canela), this can add a distinctive flavor to your horchata. Canela tastes slightly lighter than American cinnamon.
Step 2. Puree the rice
You can use a blender or coffee bean or wheat grinder to grind the rice. Make sure that the texture of the rice is like coarse flour. This way, the rice can absorb more water and cinnamon.
- You can try to grind the rice using a food processor, but there is a chance that the rice will just swirl around but not completely crumble.
- You can also mash the rice manually with a mortar, or with a millstone for corn.
- If you can't make the rice that smooth, then try to crush it as best you can.
Step 3. Pour the rice, cinnamon sticks and 3 cups of warm water into a bowl
Cover the mixture and let it come to room temperature.
Step 4. Leave the mixture for at least 3 hours, or even overnight if you can
The more the mixture is submerged, the better it will taste. If you have time, maybe you can leave it all day.
Do not fill the mixture in the refrigerator. Let it be the same as room temperature
Step 5. Pour the mixture into a blender and add 2 cups of water
If you don't have a blender or food processor, then you should let the rice soak in water for two days or until the water looks cloudy like milk. This will result in a more lumpy horchata, so it's best to strain it before drinking.
If you have a hand mixer or a burr mixer, you can make the horchata mixture directly in the bowl
Step 6. Stir the mixture until smooth
This may take 1-4 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. Try to be as subtle as possible.
Step 7. Strain the mixture through a sieve using 3 layers of cheesecloth or a fine sieve
Pour in little by little, using a spoon or spatula to stir the mixture as it passes through the sieve.
- If you're having trouble sifting through the mixture due to rice deposits accumulating in the sieve, then you can remove the sediment before continuing.
- Lift the cotton cloth and clench the top end, and then twist the cloth so that all remaining liquid is squeezed out.
Step 8. Add sugar and mix until dissolved
Sugar can be substituted for other sweeteners, such as simple syrup, honey, or agave juice.
Step 9. Transfer the horchata to a jug and chill in the refrigerator
Step 10. Serve with ice and also a little sprinkle of cinnamon powder or a cinnamon stick for garnish
Method 2 of 3: Making Chufa-Based Horchata
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
Chufa is a bit hard to find. You can order them online or look at African supermarkets.
Step 2. Pour the chufa and cinnamon in a bowl, then add the water
The water level should be about 5 cm above the surface of the chufa.
Step 3. Let the chufa soak for 24 hours at room temperature
Because chufa is hard to come by, it could be that what you bought is old stock, so it takes more time to absorb the water.
Step 4. Pour the chufa, cinnamon, and water mixture into a blender bowl
Step 5. Add 4 cups of hot water and stir until smooth
It may take 2 minutes, depending on the power of your blender.
Step 6. Strain the resulting mixture through a filter using a layer of cheesecloth or a fine sieve
Use a spoon or spatula to stir the mixture as it passes through the sieve to prevent large lumps from clumping together and allowing the liquid to pass through the cloth.
Lift the cotton cloth and clench the top end, and then squeeze out the remaining liquid
Step 7. Transfer the mixture to a jug and mix in the sugar and salt
Use a large spoon or a whisk to completely dissolve the sugar and salt.
If you want, you can also use honey, clear syrup, agave juice, or another sweetener instead of sugar
Step 8. Fill the horchata in the refrigerator until cold
Step 9. Serve with ice and also a little sprinkle of cinnamon powder or a cinnamon stick for garnish
Method 3 of 3: Experimenting with Other Variations
Step 1. Add grated lime in the mixture
The limes will complete the taste of this drink. Make sure you only grate the green part of the lemon peel. The white part is bitter and unpleasant.
Step 2. Add a cup of milk (regular milk, almond milk, or rice milk) for a more creamy taste
Before the final mixture, add only one cup of water, then 1 cup of the milk of your choice.
Step 3. Add 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract for added flavor
Step 4. Try making horchata with almond milk
Use 1/3 cup of rice and 1 cup of peeled almonds (the culinary term blanched). Mash the rice separately, then add the almonds, cinnamon, and 3 cups of hot water; Then let the mixture soak overnight. Continue to stir and sift the mixture as above.
Tips
-
Don't buy instant horchata powder!
Instant versions usually leave a bitter taste and are definitely not authentic. Be patient so that your horchata is more top.
- It's a good idea to let the rice soak longer.
- Do not use more than a tablespoon of vanilla extract.
- You can also mix cinnamon sticks in rice.
- The easy way: mix vanilla almond milk, liquid stevia juice (sweetener), and cinnamon. Finished!
- Add more cinnamon if you want a stronger taste.
- Chufa is not mandatory
