The origins of horchata go way back - in Spain, and more specifically in Valencia, a drink called Horchata de Chufa was made and still is popular today. That particular drink is made with tiger nuts, but in Mexico and many parts of Latin America, we make our horchata with rice and it is yet another one of our beloved aguas frescas.
Typically, horchata is a drink of soaked and blended rice mixed in with condensed and/or evaporated milks, then sweetened and flavoured with canela - Mexican cinnamon. I really like that kind of horchata, but I love coconut even more, so I make my horchata with rice, but instead of using milks, I go for a blend of coconut water and coconut milk, making this a vegan drink.
Any kind of rice works here, but it doesn’t have to be anything expensive - long grain works just fine, but the most important step for making horchata at home is to take the time to soak the rice. Soaking softens the grains and makes the mixture easier to blend. You can soak as little as three hours, but it is better to do it overnight. If you have a really powerful blender, it’s OK to soak less time, but if not, it’s best go overnight.
Once you blend, let the machine do its thing for at least one minute, or even more (you know your blender best), to make sure the grains are thoroughly ground. Pass the mixture through a very fine sieve (I like to use a nut milk bag), and then pour into a pitcher, sweeten to taste and that’s that!!
To serve, you can garnish with a few fun things as we do in Mexico. If you walk the markets and decide to buy a glass of horchata, it will likely come garnished with small pieces of cantaloupe and chopped pecans. Delicious! If you don’t want to go that route, a sprinkling of cinnamon will do the trick. Just make sure you serve over ice.
Another idea that is super delicious is to make an iced horchata latte - pour a shot of espresso in an ice filled glass and top with horchata. Trust me, it will become a favourite summer drink.
So go and make a pitcher of horchata and enjoy this gorgeous weather!
Horchata de Coco
Coconut Agua Fresca
1/2 cup rice
1 cup coconut milk
3 1/2 cups coconut water
1” piece canela or cinnamon
Sugar or sweetener of your choice to taste
Ice cubes
Soak rice and canela in cold water for three hours, but you can leave it overnight at room temperature.
Drain rice and canela and place in blender with coconut milk and 1 cup coconut water.
Blend until completely smooth.
Pass the liquid through a fine strainer or nut milk bag and pour into a pitcher. Stir in remaining coconut water and add sweetener to taste.
Serve over ice, garnished with ground canela.
Makes 1 litre.