It’s no secret that I love chilled beverages, right? I mean, the non alcoholic ones! Sometimes…I solely depend on it, all day long. A book without a large mug of cafe latte, sucks! A workout gets completed, only if I sip lemonade! A drive or a ride with Slurpee is highly memorable. So, like this…the list goes on!

If you haven’t heard about Horchata, yet…lemme tell ya, its a milky white, rice based beverage. Its almost non-dairy (however, you can add milk if you like), with a hint of vanilla! The real twist comes from the cinnamon you use or how you use. Yes, the beverage gets it flavor when you soak these cinnamon sticks for more than seven to ten hours (or simply overnight)!

In my opinion…its the best thirst quencher. Ask AK if you want…he swears by it! Well, he is the one who lives in Mexico. So, by now…you guessed it, right! Yes, yes…he prepared this drink. He kept bragging about it for a while…then, when pestered to make some, he gave me a ‘?’ look! Later…he surprised me by making one! Yeah, after… procuring like thousand quintessential ingredients and destroying my kitchen to a near tornado hit zone…he was finally able to fix it. Which was nice.

Recipe

Soak quarter cup of white long grain rice in filtered water. Maybe let this stand for at least two hours. So that, when you grind it…the rice should fall apart. Now, wet-grind it and pass through the sieve. Further add vanilla essence, one large cinnamon stick and sugar. Now, seal this up and refrigerate it for about seven to ten hours. The next day, serve it on rocks. Alter with other flavoring agents, if you prefer. Some people will like to add almond puree for extra thickness and taste. However, the authentic version says it as an exclusively rice based drink…but, you could still experiment it with milk, I have no objection.