Horchata de Arroz (Rice and Cinnamon Drink)

Name: Horchata de Arroz (Rice and Cinnamon Drink)
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g White long-grain rice; 1 Cinnamon stick; 500 ml Warm water; 1 L Cold water; 120 g Sugar; 5 ml Vanilla extract; 1 g Ground cinnamon; 300 g Ice

The milky-white agua fresca of every taquería: raw rice and cinnamon soaked, then blended and strained into a sweet, cool, faintly grainy drink that tastes of cinnamon and vanilla. Served over ice, no dairy required.

Pinagmulan

Recipe ni Mexican home kitchens · 🏺 Traditional

Mexican agua fresca — Horchata is a family of plant-based drinks; the Mexican version, horchata de arroz, is made from ground rice and cinnamon, sweetened and served cold. It is one of the classic aguas frescas sold alongside jamaica and tamarindo.

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⏱ 200 min🍽 6 na serving🔥 150 kcal🇲🇽 Mexico

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Mga hakbang

Put the rinsed rice and the broken-up cinnamon stick in a bowl, pour over the warm water, and leave to soak for at least 3 hours or overnight, until the rice has softened.
💡 The longer soak is what gives horchata its body. Soft rice blends far smoother and releases more starch, so an overnight soak makes a creamier, less watery drink than a rushed hour.
Tip the rice, cinnamon and their soaking water into a blender with 500 ml of the cold water. Blend on high for a full 2 minutes, until as smooth as it will get.
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with a doubled square of muslin or a clean thin cloth, gathering it up and squeezing hard to get every drop through.
💡 Strain twice if you want it silky. The first pass takes out the coarse grit; a second through a rinsed cloth catches the fine particles that would otherwise settle grainy at the bottom of the glass.
Stir the sugar and vanilla into the strained liquid until the sugar dissolves, then add the rest of the cold water. Taste and adjust the sweetness and thickness with a little more water if needed.
Chill well. Serve over plenty of ice, stir first as it settles, and dust each glass with a little ground cinnamon.

💡 Mga tip

Horchata separates as it stands — that's normal, not spoilage. Keep it in a jug in the fridge and give it a good stir every time you pour, since the rice starch settles to the bottom.
For a richer, café-style horchata, blend in a spoon of condensed milk or a splash of evaporated milk (this makes it no longer vegan). A handful of blanched almonds soaked with the rice is the older, Spanish-influenced version.