Horchata

Throughout my childhood, if there is one thing I remember always having, it was horchata. A beloved drink throughout many Spanish-speaking countries, every family has its own unique twist on this classic. Yet, thanks to El Salvador's fertile soil and volcanic landscape, a different variety of seeds grows naturally there. Because of this, Salvadoran horchata has a much more distinctive, nutty flavor than many of its counterparts. However, here in the United States, one of its main ingredients, morro, is unavailable because of import restrictions.

And yet, true to our nature, my family found an innovative solution to this challenge. In my recipe, you'll notice that I use a packaged horchata mix. The reason is simple: it is one of the easiest—and only legal—ways to bring morro into the United States.

Horchata is an art form that every maker develops over time. I encourage you to experiment with this recipe and make it your own. Every family's horchata tastes a little different, but I invite you to try my family's pride and joy—our horchata.

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Horchata

Yield 30

Author Alexandria Flores

Prep time

50 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

1 H & 10 M

A twist on a familiar recipe, this Salvadorian horchata is refreshing and delicious.

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Ingredients

• 2.32 cups of jasmine rice
• ¼ of a cup of sesame seeds
• ¼ of a cup of cashews
• >2 gallons of water
• 1 gallon of milk
• A crushed-up stick of cinnamon
• 1 bag of horchata mix de Morro
• ½ a bottle of vanilla extract
• 15 cups of sugar

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, toast jasmine rice, sesame seeds, cashews, and cinnamon until fragrant and dark (normally around fifteen minutes of toasting) on medium heat.
2. Once all the aromatics are toasted, get three cups of water and let the seeds sit in the water for twenty minutes.
3. After the twenty minutes are over, place the water and seeds in a blender and pulsate until it creates a thick paste.
4. Get your empty jug and cheesecloth, place the paste inside your cheesecloth, and strain all the liquid out of your paste. Make sure that none of the paste finds its way into the jug, as this will cause a bitter concentration in the final product.
5. Get four cups of water and pour over your paste in the cheesecloth. Massage the mixture with your hands to extract the flavor from the paste.
6. Grab your horchata mix, four cups of sugar and 4 cups of water, and pour the ingredients into the blender. Pulsate the mixture until completely combined.
7. Pour the mixture into the jug, and mix with a risotto spoon to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
8. Dilute the mixture by adding water and stir for ten minutes.
9. Add remaining sugar to the mixture until sweetened to your liking and stir.
10. Add your milk and vanilla extract and stir.