Horchata - Drink of the gods.
(lower case gods)
A liquid craze is sweeping across our nation from the south. This
infectious drink has been carried across continents and language barriers,
through millenniums, and by all types of people. I also hear it is trendy
in Manhattan.
The title that best sums up this drink process is "Horchata."
(pronounced or-CHA-tah) A little known fact is that large portions of Latin
America are lactose intolerant. Studies show figures as high as 30 percent!
This trend is increasing among Americans as well. What can be done as a
substitute turns out to be an amazingly refreshing drink. It perfectly
compliments the spicy nature of Mexican food.
History
As a drink process, removing grain and nut oils and tasty nutrients
and mixing them with water is nothing new. All cultures have done it like,
well, forever. But the Horchata - Chufa style - has its origin in ancient
Egypt. Chufa is one of the earliest domesticated crops and in fact, was
found in vases and used in the embalming methods in the tombs of the
Egyptian pharaohs. The Chufa nut was widely used in Egypt and Sudan. The
Arabs dragged the plant by excessive force to Spain during the time of the
Moorish kings (700 B.C. a 1200 A.D.). The eastern Spanish province of
Valencia was the best environment for growing Chufa. (remember Valencia:
oranges, and Chufa nuts. Oh, and sausages, and paellas, and..)
This nut is like psycho good for your health, with high levels of iron
and potassium. It does not contain sodium, is very low in fat content, and
is valued for its minerals and vitamins.
Wild and unfounded conclusions: The Egyptians knew something of the
awesome life preserving qualities of this little tuber. The Spaniards
picked up this information second hand. (Think fountain of life...) The
honorary title "drink of the gods" pops up. Plus I feel really good when I
plant my extra long straw in and vacuum my tanker dry. You be the judge.
Technical details
Chufa - Tiger nut (cyperaceae cyperus esculentus) are the tiny,
tuberous roots of a Middle-Eastern plant of the sedge family. In other
words, the Chufa (pronounced CHOO-fah) "nuts" are basically the little pea
sized roots of a middle eastern / African plant, that looks kind of basic
brown. It has a basic off-white flesh that you would suspect. In other
words if you hit an almond with a hammer you get similar pasty goo.
Technical enough?
www.heladeria.com - awesome info.
Where the name came..
Here is a wild explanation of where the name "Horchata" came from. I
found it on the internet, so it must be accurate, right??
Well, there's an old story about a girl in a little town that offered
some of the drink to the visiting King of Catalunya and Aragon. After
enjoying the drink, the king asked, "Que es aixo?" (What is this?). The girl
answered, "Es leche de Chufa" (Chufa milk - which was its original name), to
which the King replied, "Aixo no es llet, aixo es OR, XATA!" (This is not
milk; this is GOLD, CUTIE). The word "Xata" in Catalan - which the King
spoke - is an affectionate nickname for a child.
The fame spread throughout the country and the name of the drink
started to be known in Spanish as Orchata. Later, the H was added to the
beginning.
Sounds pretty convincing, no?
The root meaning of the word Chufa is to hiss at, laugh at.
CHUFA Horchata - Horchata de Chufa
You will find Horchatas made from Chufa in most areas of Spain . It
remains a very popular and refreshing summer drink. This is the real deal,
the authentic and ancient recipe for Horchata from Chufa. Trust me on this
one, Horchata made from Chufa nut tastes nothing like Mexican Horchata made
from rice. Don't confuse the two because they are VERY different. And I have
to add this little bit of funny: In Spain this drink is accompanied by a
'farton', a foot long donut-like pastry to dunk in. Oh yeah, I'll have a
farton.
1 lb. Chufas
1 Cup Sugar (or to taste)
2.3 Quarts of Water
1 Cinnamon Stick
a.. Bathe your naked Chufas very well, rubbing and rinsing them in
clean water. If you find them having little hairy fibers, get them off.
b.. When they are completely clean, drown them for 14 hours in cold
water. (make good and sure they stay under.)
c.. Rinse the naughty little Chufas in clean water, until it is
completely clear, then drain.
d.. Mash the Chufa or put them in a blender - to make them into a
soft paste. Add a little water if needed. (Some have told me that it MUST
be done with a mortar and pestle. I say Yeah, right.)
e.. Add the 2.5 qt of water to the paste that you have made and put
in the cinnamon stick. Stir and let it sit in a cool place (I have heard
fridges are cold) for 2 hours.
f.. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
g.. Strain the mix through a metal mesh filter, and then through a
wet, damp cheesy fine-cloth. Repeat until the strained liquid does not have
any particles left. Particle man, particle man.
h.. You now have a fine, cloudy-milky liquid that keeps in the
fridge for about four days.
Try: Serve the Horchata in slushy form as you would ice-cream. Simply
put it in the freezer, scraping the sides off and stirring occasionally or
it will freeze ice solid. Those freezing liquid cup thingies work well.
RICE Horchata - Horchata de Arroz
Ah rice, let me tell you the wonders of rice. Well, it is rice. Um,
just rice. This is the Mexico's answer to the lack of a Chufa. Often the
Mexican versions have milk in them as well. (no wonder they taste so good)
I have never had good results from any recipe that says to cook the rice.
(or toast/fry/nuke the cinnamon stick)
Recipe: Same as above, use 2 cups rice. DON'T PEEL THE RICE! Soak
time is about 8 hours. Try adding a little Mexican dark vanilla. (don't use
imitation flavorings, vanilla, almond or otherwise.) eew.
On second thought, I might give the cinnamon sticks the same
soak-mash-strain treatment and see what i get...
ALMOND Horchata - Horchata de Almendra
Almonds are a so-so substitute for Chufas; you will end up with
Horchata of the same texture and approximately a somewhat similar taste.
(not.)
Ingredients:
1 pound Almonds
1 cup (or to taste) sugar or sweetener
Half of a lemon
1 cinnamon stick (a heavy dash of powder can be used, but strain it
out)
A miniscule dash of salt
61 oz. water
a.. The first step is to remove the skins from the almonds. The best
way to do this is to buy them already skinless. If you are bored, or
desperate, you will have to boil the skins off. Put the almonds in a pot of
boiling water and let sit until the skins become very soft. With time, the
skins will loosen and can be scraped off.
b.. Crush, mangle, or otherwise pulverize the almonds into a coarse
powder. If you boiled your poor little almonds to get the skins off, then
mutilate them (or put them in a strong blender while adding some water) into
a mush.
c.. In a large bowl/container add the water with a tiny dash of
salt. Slice and add the lemon. (if you use cinnamon powder, you can put some
in now.)
d.. Mix in the almond powder (or mush). Cover the container and let
it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
e.. Strain the liquid with a fine cloth. Make sure you remove all of
the large particles. Otherwise you get scratchy throat feedback.
f.. Add the cinnamon stick and leave it in the fridge until it is
VERY cold and lonely.
Secret V.2 Horchata - Horchata de YouWish.
I will not divulge this recipe; it is completely my invention. It is
not similar to any above. Want to try it? You will have to come to Sierra
Vista, Arizona and buy some from the little vendor shop in the Swap Meet.
(I have huge jugs. Umm, GLASS Jugs.)
Where to get it?
Horchata mixes are common. They all taste from bad to ok. Do not
evaluate the drink by some off-the-shelf dusty old powder or brown
concentrated syrup with no expiration date. Fiesta is the largest
distributor, and has some decent product if fresh. (note that most of these
contain milk solids and other scary things, so think of it as an attempt to
approximate only the flavor.) I love whatever they sell at Someburros in
Tempe. The only information I have about their source is Fresca-Carribe (or
carriba?) I have tried to find it online without success.
www.DonaJuana.com Hunt for the search button and search for horchata
to find it. (simple?) Chufa version.
www.Tienda.com also has a cheap supposedly authentic chufa version. I
am still waiting for this one to arrive.
www.MexGrocer.com has small rice type powders, concentrates, and quick
shipping. KLASS brand powder is really nasty - don't waste your money on
it.
Chufas can be bought in Spain at little candy shops that sell nuts
(frutos secos). In the states you might find some at health food stores or
Mexican shops if you are a keen adventurous hunter and happen across some
divine intervention. There are a few big grocers in Mexico that carry them.
I've read that Chufa is grown in the Southern United States and can be
purchased through farmer co-ops as seed. Supposedly it is grown as a feed
crop for game hunts. Until I get a purchasing source I refuse to believe
this, and you can't make me believe it either. (www.tecomate.com,
www.Chufa.com)
got it from: http://www.popsynth.com/horchata.htm
Post by Senor PuppyDoes anyone know the history of Horchata? How was it introduced to Mexico
and Cental America?
I have tasted several versions (Mexican, Salvadorian, Costa Rican) and
wanted to know how it was introduced and how the drink spread.
Thank You