Horchata

Nate & I had delicious Mexican food for lunch today. Just after being seated, I spied a milky looking drink being served at another table. It was served on ice in a fat glass jar and had a red & white striped straw. I HAD to have it. I'm a sucker for trying new things, especially if it's authentic to the cuisine. Turns out it was a traditional Mexican drink, called Horchata. It's meant to save your taste buds from burning while eating spicy Mexican food.

The drink was delicious, and reminded me of something I've been meaning to try to make - nutmilk, as seen here. So instead, I'm going to try to make this recipe, which looks like a bit of a combination of the two.

Horchata

Ingredients
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups skinless almonds
1-inch piece cinnamon bark
8 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice cubes

Directions
Wash and drain the rice. Using a spice grinder (an electric coffee grinder works well too), grind the rice until fine; combine with the almonds and cinnamon bark. Add 3 1/2 cups water and let sit overnight, covered. Blend rice mixture until smooth using a blender. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and continue blending. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Strain horchata into a bowl first using a metal strainer and then a double layer of cheesecloth; finish with up to an additional 2 cups of water until it achieves a milky consistency. Enjoy over ice.



Fish & pork tacos, along with a beef burrito to share. Restaurant was Fonda Mexican, and it was reeeal good.