Traditional Mexican Horchata | A Step by Step Recipe | Muy Delish (2024)

FAQs

How is horchata originally made? ›

The original horchata from Valencia, Spain is made from chufa, or tiger nuts, water, sugar and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Tiger nuts didn't grow in the Americas when the Spanish arrived, so the Spanish used different nuts, seeds and grains to recreate horchata in their colonies.

Spanish horchata is made with tiger nuts, while Mexican horchata is usually made with rice. Base ingredient will have a strong impact on the flavor and texture, making each horchata unique. Matcha horchata is made with all the original ingredients, plus matcha powder.

Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is a popular Mexican drink that is often described as a sweet rice milk beverage. Horchata is made out of rice, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and is served in many Mexican restaurants.

Starches are the main agent in Oaxacan, Valencian and other grain- and tuber-based horchatas. Free starch molecules will mix with and thicken water, but inside the plant parts that make starches, like grains of rice, the molecules are glued and laminated together into aggregates called starch granules.

Lat Am Spain. feminine noun. [de chufas] tiger nut milk. [de almendras] almond milk.

It is a source of vitamins C and E, and is also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. Most recipes are dairy and gluten-free, ensuring horchata is easy on the stomach. When you want a beverage that is simple, natural, and provides health benefits with ease, horchata is the perfect option for you.

To limit bacteria growth, it should be refrigerated after 2 hours and the drink consumed within 5 days. This version has been updated. The rice needs to be soaked for at least 2 hours at room temperature, and up to overnight in the refrigerator. The horchata can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

The pink color is often achieved by adding ingredients such as strawberries, raspberries, or hibiscus to the traditional rice-based horchata. How is pink horchata made? Pink horchata is typically made by blending rice, water, and the desired pink-hued ingredient such as strawberries, raspberries, or hibiscus.

Long-Grain Jasmine Rice Makes A Great Horchata Base

Basmati and jasmine rice are both types of long-grain white rice, but jasmine rice is a slightly better fit due to its plump, pliant texture and slightly sweet taste.

Some recipes add almonds or other nuts and even cows' milk for a richer, creamier beverage. I can't believe how easy it is to make at home using leftover rice! By using cooked rice instead of raw rice, you can skip the planning ahead, soaking, waiting, and straining of traditional horchata recipes.

Why is horchata so sweet? ›

Through this slow drying process a good amount of the sweetness in the horchata drink comes from the tuber itself, because carbohydrates in the chufa are given enough time to gradually turn into sugars. Fresh horchata is then made from the tiger nuts soaked in water with added sugar.

Traditional Mexican horchata is made from rice while Oaxacan horchata, also from Mexico, is often served with chopped walnuts, melon and pear ice cream as a dessert. Venezuelan chicha is similar to horchata in that it's made from soaked rice and has a thick, creamy consistency, Remezcla reports.

Refreshing Oatmeal Drink (Agua de Avena)

"This is a refreshing drink from Mexico that is very similar to horchata but healthier and easier to make! Serve cold," says recipe creator Becky Perez.

You can often tell which mix they use by how they describe the drink: If they use the term “Salvadoran,” they're typically using a version with morro or melon seed, while Mexican horchata, on the other hand, always uses rice.

Horchata is a sweet rice drink that is very popular not only in Mexico but also in the US! Most people know of the dairy version with evaporated and condensed milk, but horchata can also be made dairy-free. Mexican horchata is typically made with rice, water, cinnamon, milk, and sugar.

For centuries, it has been known to have all kinds of health benefits, containing vitamin C and E and being rich in the minerals phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and iron. It stops any nasty stomach upsets, and everyone can drink it, as it's free from lactose, casein, and gluten and contains almost no sodium.

The rice adds a starchy or chalky quality, and perhaps to compensate, most taquerias use a very heavy hand with the sugar. But the rice flavor is also part of horchata's charm, and this version inspired by GCM vendors reduces the sweetness—a bit.