Horchata is a popular beverage in Mexico and South America; some countries in Africa have their own versions of horchata, but it uses different grains and thus yields a different taste than the traditional Mexican recipe found here. Horchata is also called "rice milk" and is deliciously refreshing when paired with vanilla and cinnamon. It does take a little bit of time to make, but the process is very easy since the time needed to make horchata is not active time but resting time to allow the flavours to blend.

**This recipe yields about 5 cups (40 oz) of horchata
**This recipe requires a blender

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups water
• ⅓ to ½ cup sugar (to taste—see note)
• ⅓ cup long grain rice
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, add rice, 2 cups of water and 2 cinnamon sticks.
2. Blend for about 2 minutes or until the rice and cinnamon are roughly ground.
3. Add 2 more cups of water and blend again for another 2 minutes.
4. Place blended contents in a large jar or pitcher with a lid.
5. Let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours. The longer you let the mixture sit, the more flavourful it will be. 24 hours is even better if you want to extract much of the flavour.
6. After letting it sit, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and collect the liquid in a large jar or pitcher. It is ok if a little bit of residue/solids remain in your mix.
7. Stir in the milk, vanilla extract, and sugar.
8. Grate a cinnamon stick to produce roughly 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder. Add it to the mix and stir.
9. Transfer to an airtight container (glass works best) and then refrigerate.
10. Refrigerate.

Keeps for one week.

NOTE

Sugar is needed to make a classic style horchata, to be enjoyed by itself. If you intend on blending the horchata with a sweet liqueur or spirit, it is recommended to reduce the amount of sugar or omit it altogether.