Horchata (Mexican Rice and Cinnamon Drink)
A creamy, cold agua fresca made from rice soaked with cinnamon, blended with milk, sweetened and served over ice. Soak overnight, blend in minutes.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soak the rice
Rinse the rice under cold water, then place it in a bowl with the broken cinnamon stick. Add 1 litre of warm water, cover, and let soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
- 200 g rice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 litre warm water
✅ Done when: the rice looks swollen and the water is slightly cloudy
Blend
Pour the soaked rice, cinnamon, and all the soaking water into a blender. Blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until the rice is broken down as finely as possible.
- all soaked rice, cinnamon and soaking water from step 1
✅ Done when: mixture looks smooth and milky, with no large rice pieces
Strain
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Sweeten
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Serve
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Soak the rice
Rinse the rice under cold water, then place it in a bowl with the broken cinnamon stick. Add 1 litre of warm water, cover, and let soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
- 200 g rice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 litre warm water
✅ Done when: the rice looks swollen and the water is slightly cloudy
Blend
Pour the soaked rice, cinnamon, and all the soaking water into a blender. Blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until the rice is broken down as finely as possible.
- all soaked rice, cinnamon and soaking water from step 1
✅ Done when: mixture looks smooth and milky, with no large rice pieces
Strain
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Sweeten
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Horchata came to Mexico from Spain, where it's made from tiger nuts (chufa) in Valencia. Tiger nuts didn't grow in the Americas, so Mexican cooks made it with rice and cinnamon instead, and created a new classic.
Today it's one of the most popular aguas frescas, served from big glass jars at taquerías and markets, and loved alongside spicy food.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Sweet, creamy and cinnamon-scented, it is the perfect cooling partner for spicy tacos.
💡 Fun Fact
The idea goes back even further: the Moors brought a tiger-nut drink to Spain from North Africa over a thousand years ago.
Spain (Valencia), reinvented in Mexico
19.43°N, -99.13°W
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