For Cinco de Mayo, Down a Cool, Sweet Mexican Horchata

[José Balido]

Like many of you, I’m a big fan of Mexican cuisine. Being Cuban, I also happen to have a sweet tooth, but in my experience, original desserts aren’t exactly Mexico’s strong suit; those I have found tend to be imports from elsewhere, like flan from mother country Spain and tres leches from Nicaragua. I have also for the most part not found distinctive drinks that are non-alcoholic. An exception on both counts is one of my favorite bevvies out there: horchata.

Mexican horchata (not to be confused with varying soft drinks labeled "horchata" throughout Latin America, as well as a very different original from Spain which has been featured on this blog in the past) is rice-based and cinnamon-laced, and to me tastes a little like a liquid form of another typical Spanish dessert, arroz con leche (rice pudding). Here in the U.S. you can find it wherever you find lots of Mexican immigrants – primarily California, Texas, and the Southwest. In Miami, where I live, I get my horchata fix in a big cut-glass goblet at a newish Mexican restaurant called Tacontento, in South Beach.

The drink is smooth, not overly sweet, and has a nice little cinnamony tang that makes for a perfect counterpoint to the savory, often hot-‘n’-spicy flavors of Mexico’s various cuisines. Here’s a recipe I found at AllRecipes.com. I’m gonna whip it up today, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.

¡Buen apetito, y feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
2 quarts (1.9 l) water
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1/2 cup white sugar

Preparation
In a large saucepan, combine rice, water and cinnamon stick. Set aside for 3 hours. After 3 hours, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

Puree rice mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Flavor with vanilla and sugar to taste. Chill, and serve over ice.

(135 calories, .2 grams fat, 0 cholesterol per serving)