Mexican Rice Milk, Horchata Mexicana

By Juliann Esquivel
@Juliann

This rice drink is both refreshing and delicious. It is made with rice, almonds, cinnamon, water, sugar and vanilla. For more nutrition in many Mexican homes milk and almonds are added but milk and almonds are optional. It is very popular in Mexico. Since it is made without milk it will keep in the frig for various days. However, because it is so good it does not last long. Rice and almonds are soaked up to 24 hours and then ground with cinnamon and sugar, Friends who have tasted it for the first time when travelling to Mexico come back looking for the recipe. Try my Horchata for yourself it is very easy to make. This recipe involves no cooking. Enjoy

Rating:

★★★★★ 5 votes

Comments:

28 Comments

Serves:

5 or 6

Prep:

20 Min

Method:

No-Cook or Other

Ingredients

1 1/2 c: long grain rice, uncooked
2 qt: and ( 2 cups more ) water
1 stick: cinnamon
1 c: sugar or to your liking
1 c: fresh milk optional or evaporated milk, optional
1/2 c: skinless white almonds blanched, optional
2 tsp: pure vanilla extract
1 medium: cheese cloth, important

How to Make Mexican Rice Milk, Horchata Mexicana

Step-by-Step

1First in a large pot rinse rice two or three times in cool water. Now combine rice and (almonds optional) with about 10 cups of water and a broken up cinnamon stick. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand over night or for 24 hours or up two two days. I put mine in the frig covered and sometimes just leave in the frig for two days.
2After over night, or 24 hours or two days. (which ever length of time you chose) remove from refrigerator and strain rice and cinnamon sticks from the water. Do not throw the water out. In a blender process on high about a cup of the rice mixture with a half cup sugar 1 cup of the rice water and the soaked cinnamon sticks on high. Process until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks very smooth. Pour into a pitcher. Next do the remaing rice and the rest of the sugar and cinnamon sticks and process again until all is dissolved. (If you chose to soak almonds (optional)with your rice then you will have ground the almonds along with the rice as well.) Remember try for a very smooth mixture. Now add all of the rice and almond mixture back into the reserved rice water mix real good and let stand for about 10 minutes.
3Now you are ready to strain all of the rice water mixture through a cheese cloth put it over another pitcher push down in the pitcher somewhat and I secure the cheese cloth ends over the edge of the pitcher with a very large rubber band all around the outside of the pitcher. I then strain the mixture slowly until all the liquid has been poured back into the pitcher. Remove the cloth discard the contents. Sometimes I strain twice. Now if you like you may add the cup of (milk, optional) and add the vanilla. Stir well and taste for sweetness to your liking. refrigerate. When nice and cold serve in tall glasses over ice. YUM Enjoy.
4In Mexico sometimes after a very hot or spicy meal cool glasses of Horchata are served after the meal to calm and cool the taste buds. Of course anytime is great to enjoy a refreshing glass of Horchata. Enjoy
5I will post my picture tomorrow, as I have rice and soaking in my frig as I write this. I plan on making the Horchata tomorrow.