Horchata de Arroz 
(Latin sweet rice beverage)

Horchata de arroz in a cup over ice
Image by sstrieu

Horchata (or-CHA-tah) is a milky white, sweet beverage that was introduced to Spain by the Moors. The original Spanish version is made with ground tiger nuts and is especially popular in Valencia. In Latin America, where the tiger nut is not commonly available, pulverized rice is used. In Mexico, horchata is one of the most common aguas frescas and is ladled from large glass jars set in ice.

These days horchata can be found pre-made in the refrigerated section of markets or as a powder in packets to be mixed with water or milk. In the homemade version, the rice settles out after a few hours. Stir to remix.

Horchata de Arroz

Course: BeveragesCuisine: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
Makes about

2

quarts

Ingredients

  • Rice — 2 cups

  • Water — 6 cups

  • Cinnamon — 1/2 teaspoon

  • Sugar — 1/3 cup

  • Vanilla — 1 teaspoon

Directions

  • Soak the rice overnight in 3 cups of the water. Add the rice, soaking water and cinnamon to a blender and puree until smooth, 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Strain into a pitcher through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth. There should be no grit or large particles in the liquid.
  • Stir in the remaining 3 cups water, sugar and vanilla. Adjust sugar to taste and serve well chilled.

Horchata Notes and Variations

  • El Salvador: Flavored with ground morro seed (from the calabash tree gourd) and various spices.
  • Nicaragua and Honduras: Flavored with ground jícaro seeds (from the calabash tree gourd) and cocoa.
  • Mexico-Oaxaca: Tinted pink with a dollop of the pureed fruit of the prickly pear cactus (tuna in Spanish).
  • Other possible additions: A squeeze of lime juice, ground nutmeg, ground allspice.
  • Substitute 3 cups of milk for 3 cups of the water. Or use evaporated milk for a richer, creamier version.
  • Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup blanched, chopped almonds to the blender when pureeing the soaked rice.
  • Some recipes call for grinding the rice before soaking. Use a spice or coffee grinder to first pulverize the rice. Then add the water to soak. The soaking time can usually be cut in half when following this method.

Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.