Easy Strawberry Horchata - Adriana's Best Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you make horchata not gritty? ›

Give it a good shake/stir, then let it sit for 1-2 hours or until the water is cool enough to touch. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain through a triple-layered cheese cloth AND a fine mesh strainer. This step is very important- you do not want a grainy horchata!

Starches are the main agent in Oaxacan, Valencian and other grain- and tuber-based horchatas. Free starch molecules will mix with and thicken water, but inside the plant parts that make starches, like grains of rice, the molecules are glued and laminated together into aggregates called starch granules.

However, one of the most significant benefits is that horchata is a healthy drink that actually tastes good. Horchata is made with natural ingredients that don't contain the chemical additives that often cause upset stomachs, including rice, almonds, sugar, vanilla, and spices such as cinnamon.

Pink horchata is a variation of the traditional horchata beverage, which originated in Valencia, Spain. The pink color is often achieved by adding ingredients such as strawberries, raspberries, or hibiscus to the traditional rice-based horchata.

Long-Grain Jasmine Rice Makes A Great Horchata Base

Basmati and jasmine rice are both types of long-grain white rice, but jasmine rice is a slightly better fit due to its plump, pliant texture and slightly sweet taste.

The texture of horchata is slightly grainy, but otherwise smooth and refreshing. To achieve this texture, be sure to fully pulverize the rice and cinnamon in a grinder. You will want the rice and cinnamon mixture to have the consistency of rice flour.

Horchata will make your skin look healthier because of the high levels of antioxidants in this tasty drink. Drinking horchata every day may help reduce inflammation in the body which could lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.

What it tastes like: Mexican horchata isn't as creamy as Spanish horchata (unless you add milk), and it can sometimes be a little gritty from the rice. However, it is usually much sweeter than Spanish horchata and has a strong cinnamon flavor.

1. Tequila. Of all the popular shots in Mexico, tequila is the most famous, and it's found behind bars all over the world.

When does Horchata expire? Store-bought, unopened horchata typically lasts for about a week past the sell-by date. Once opened, it usually stays fresh for 2-5 days when kept in the refrigerator. Homemade horchata, on the other hand, should ideally be consumed within the same day of preparation.

How to fix slimy horchata? ›

Why is my horchata slimy? If hot water is used instead of cool water to blend the rice mixture, the rice grains will start to swell and cook. As the mixture sits, the starches in the rice will gel up, giving it a slimy texture. Use room temperature or cold water when making horchata.

Place the rice on a fine-mesh sieve and rinse until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and add the cinnamon with 1 quart (4 cups) of cold water. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

The rice adds a starchy or chalky quality, and perhaps to compensate, most taquerias use a very heavy hand with the sugar. But the rice flavor is also part of horchata's charm, and this version inspired by GCM vendors reduces the sweetness—a bit.

The next day, strain the horchata using a strainer and cheesecloth.

Natural horchata has a pH in the range 6.3–6.8 and is rich in starch. Consequently, it cannot be heated above 72 °C as this would cause the starch to gel and would alter the organoleptic characteristics of the product.