Horchata

This drink was a staple in the Peruvian restaurants in our old neighborhood in Arlington. At first I looked at it kind of askance, but it turns out that cold, sweetened rice milk and cinnamon is actually the perfect thirst quencher on a hot day. I always forget about horchata in the cooler months, but when the temperature climbs into the nineties, I remember and check to see whether we have all of the ingredients to mix up a pitcher. Our favorite recipe is adapted from this one.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked white rice 

3 cups warm water

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups rice milk 

2/3 cup agave nectar 

ground cinnamon 

Directions:

Grind the rice in a blender or food processor until it looks like fine-ground polenta. In a bowl, combine the ground rice, cinnamon stick, and warm water. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the cinnamon stick, and puree the rice/water mixture. Strain through a sieve, pressing to get as much liquid out as possible. Add the rice milk and agave, and stir well. Serve over ice with a little ground cinnamon sprinkled on top. 

Just like being back in the old neighborhood. Happy weekend!