Mexican Horchata

Ingredients

• 200 g White rice
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 750 ml Water
• 250 ml Evaporated milk
• 100 g Sweetened condensed milk (Use 100–150 g according to the desired sweetness.)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Ice (For serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the white rice and cinnamon stick in a bowl or container with the 750 ml water. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the rice softens and infuses the water with cinnamon.

2. 2

   For the quicker alternative, pulse the dry rice a few times in a blender without fully grinding it. Bring the water to a boil, pour it over the rice, add the cinnamon stick, and let the mixture cool completely before blending.

3. 3

   Transfer the soaked rice-and-water mixture to a blender. Add the evaporated milk, 100–150 g sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.

4. 4

   Blend until the rice is thoroughly broken down and the mixture looks as smooth as possible.

5. 5

   Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher, pressing or stirring gently as needed to extract the liquid.

6. 6

   Strain the liquid a second time through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove the remaining fine rice particles and produce a smoother drink.

7. 7

   Serve the horchata chilled over ice.

Notes

The recipe yields approximately 1 L (33.8 fl oz). The condensed milk quantity can be adjusted between 100 and 150 g for sweetness. Keep refrigerated and stir before serving if settling occurs.

Nutrition per serving

• drink
• Mexican
• non-alcoholic
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• no-cook
• make-ahead
• refreshing