Is my blog burning: Rice - Horchata

"Is my blog burning" is a theme event where many bloggers post about the same food topic on the same date. This, the fourth IMBB event, was hosted by Pim.. To see the hub of IMBB for the current rendition, see this link.

This is my first time participating in IMBB. My contribution: Horchata.

This was my first time making horchata. I gathered a few recipes from the web and tweaked here and there to create my own. I enjoy purchasing a good, housemade horchata when I am out, but I will probably never make it again. Not that the result was bad by any means, but given the work involved, the straining of finely-ground rice, and the mess in my kitchen I expected the result to be spectacular - which it wasn't.

Oh well, live and learn.

At first I thought it was my recipes, but a friend today confirmed that this is the way to make it, and that Susana Trilling's recipe is basically the same. Another friend suggested I ask my grandmother how to make it -- which I kind of cracked up about. While I actually do have a Mexican grandmother, I just talked to her and she has never made horchata. "It's not up my alley," I think was her exact phrase.

Horchata

6 tablespoons long grain white rice
1 1/4 cups blanched skinless almonts
1 cinnamon stick
approximately 1 tablespoon lime zest
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups water

preparation time: 24 hours (approx 45 min active time)

Grind the rice using a blender or coffee grinder, as smooth as possible.
Combine ground rice, almonds, cinnamon, lime zest, and 3 cups of water.
Cover and let stand overnight.
Blend the rice mixture until as smooth as possible - several minutes.
Add 2 more cups of water, half the sugar, the vanilla and blend a few seconds more.
Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to get out most of the solids.
Pour the strained liquid through damp cheese cloth.
Add more sugar and water to taste.
Cover and refrigerate.
Serve over ice.

Source credit: Gourmet Sleuth, Food Network

Comments

[ed]

your photos of food items are great!

[Sam (Sixy Beast)]

thanks for directing me to your site.
I was wondering about citrus fruit in the US - it all seems to have 'waxed' skins , to me, especially if you buy it in a supermarket, even wholefoods. In the UK you can buy unwaxed lemons easily for cooking. they have a different lable (and of course cost more!)
i am wondering about farmers market lemons - maybe they are unwaxed. I bought some the other day but i wasnt sure. I'll ask next time. Maybe your citrus supplier knows the answer..?

[Gwen]

Why did I always think horchata had coconut milk in it? Goes to show that anyone can be surprised.

My daughter orders this every time we go to the local taqueria. I always steal a sip or two or three.

[Mike]

try adding some condensed milk - a little fat will improve things

[noaer]

hiya.

i'm a new reader who reads the simplyrecipes blog a lot (and was directed here). i'm planning to make a horchata cocktail for an upcoming tamale-making party. any suggestions? i think i read somewhere that i can mix horchata & rum successfully. have you tried this?

thanks very much. i am in love with all of the agua frescas. :) horchata, though, is my favorite.