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Horchata

Latin American · 10 min · Easy · 6 glasses

Horchata

Rice and cinnamon soaked overnight, blended and strained into a cloudy, faintly sweet, milky drink. Served very cold, it is the standard partner to anything spicy.

~220 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

gluten-freenut-freesoy-freeoil-free
Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Soak the rice

    Put the rice and the cinnamon stick in a bowl and pour over the hot water. Leave to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight on the counter. The grains soften and the water goes chalky — that cloudiness is the drink.

  2. 2

    Blend it down

    ⏱ 2 min

    Tip the rice, the cinnamon stick and all of the soaking water into a blender. Blend for a full 2 minutes, until the rice is broken down to a fine grit and the liquid is opaque.

  3. 3

    Strain

    Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin into a jug, pressing hard to push the starch through. Discard the grit left behind — it has given up everything useful.

  4. 4

    Sweeten and chill

    Stir in the plant milk, the sugar and the vanilla until the sugar has fully dissolved. Chill thoroughly and serve over ice with a little ground cinnamon on top.

Notes

The soak is not optional — unsoaked rice blends to sand and the drink stays thin. It separates in the fridge, which is normal; stir or shake before pouring. Sweetness is personal, so add the sugar in two goes and taste cold, not warm.

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