I actually first discovered horchata during a 1993 summer family vacation in Valencia, Spain. We loved the drink so much, we drank liters and liters of the delicious, cool, sweet horchata. That particular variety was made with tiger nuts, but there are many variations that are made with nuts and grains such as rice, blanched ground almonds, sesame seeds or barley. It all depends on which region the beverage comes from.
I’ve had the rice-based version several times at Mexican restaurants recently, and I’ve been itching to learn how to make it at home. The recipe requires patience but is worth the wait. I’m definitely going to be bringing a big jug of this to the next family picnic!
1. Info for How to Make Horchata (Cinnamon Rice Milk Drink Recipe)
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 8
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for How to Make Horchata (Cinnamon Rice Milk Drink Recipe)
- 1 cup sweet round rice (or any other rice)
- 1-½ cinnamon sticks
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ cup agave nectar, to taste
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup store-bought rice milk, optional
- 8 cups ice cubes
3. Directions:
- The day before… Crush about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.
- To start, always use filtered water. You don’t want a chlorine taste. Fill a small pot with 2-½ cups of water. Bring to a near boil.
- Wash the rice in one water bath. Drain and rinse. Add the crushed cinnamon, the remaining whole cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and hot water. Let the water completely cool to room temperature and let sit overnight in your refrigerator.