Recipe: Super Speedy Horchata

Super Speedy Horchata

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• pour :

  to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

What is Horchata?

• Horchata (or-CHAH-tah) is a sweet, creamy Spanish drink made from rice, tiger nuts, or other nuts or seeds, along with water, cinnamon, and sugar. 
• The nuts or rice are soaked overnight in water, drained, and then ground. Water, sugar, and cinnamon are added. Vanilla or a touch of lemon or lime juice may also be added. Horchata is typically milk-free, although evaporated milk or coconut milk may be added in some countries. It is usually served chilled over ice. 
• Horchata originated in Ancient Egypt around 2400 BCE as a drink made from barley.  Ancient Romans called it "hordeata," from the Latin word for barley, "hordeum." The word "horchata" probably derives from "hordeata." 
• When tiger nuts were introduced to Spain in the 8th century, they became the base for the drink instead of barley. Called "horchata de chufa," ("chufa" is Spanish for "tiger nut"), it has a more earthy flavor. There are records of the beverage in 13th century Valencia, where it is still served, often with "fartons," long, glazed yeasted buns which are dunked into the horchata. 
• A rice-based horchata, "horchata de arroz," is very popular in Mexico. It is described as tasting similar to rice pudding. The drink pairs well with spicy Mexican foods.

Let's Learn About Mexico!

• Officially, Mexico's name is "The United Mexican States." It is one of several countries and territories in North America, including Canada and the United States of America.
• Spanish is Mexico's national language, and Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexican people didn't always speak Spanish, though. For thousands of years, Native Americans lived there and built great cities. The people had advanced language, education, and calendar systems, and they had very clever ways of raising food. Mexico is also the country with the largest number of native American speakers in North America. 
• The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. Mexican legend says that Aztec leaders were told to build their great city of Tenochtitlan at the site where they saw an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus with a snake in its beak. That image is in the center of Mexico's flag. The Aztecs built their city on an island in the middle of a lake. The ruins of Tenochtitlan are at the center of Mexico City and still sit on top of a lake! As water is pumped out to serve the needs of the city's growing population, the city has been sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches per year.  
• Indigenous Mexican people included the Aztecs in the central interior of the country, the Mayans of the Yucatan peninsula, and the Zapotec of the south. Spanish explorers landed in Mexico in the early 1500s, and they ruled Mexico for over 300 years. During this time of colonization, Mexico's Mesoamerican civilizations mixed with European culture.

Mexican cuisine

• Before the arrival of Spaniards, native Mexican food primarily consisted of corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and herbs. Indigenous people occasionally hunted and added wild turkey, rabbit, deer, and quail to their largely vegetarian diets. Native royalty sipped chocolate drinks. Europeans introduced cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, sugarcane, and wheat to Mexico upon their arrival. 
• Mexican cuisine uses chili peppers to give it its distinct flavor. Jalapeños, poblanos, and serrano peppers are commonly used in Mexican dishes. Dishes that include mole, a sauce made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions, such as Día de los Muertos.
• There are several well-known regional dishes in Mexico, including barbacoa, birria, burritos, ceviche, chilaquiles, enchiladas, mole poblano, tacos, tamales, tortas ahogadas, and tostadas.
• Tres leches (three milks) cake is a popular cake in Mexico. The sponge cake is moistened with three types of milk: whole milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Conchas are Mexican sweet breads (pan dulce). A concha is a sweetened roll into which grooves are cut across the top so they resemble a shell. It has a crunchy, sweet topping made of butter, flour, and sugar.

Popular holidays and food celebrations

• Cinco de Mayo literally means May 5. On Cinco de Mayo, Mexicans remember the Battle of Puebla, fought against the French army on May 5, 1862. Mexico won the battle but was not expected to. On May 9, 1862, President Juárez of Mexico declared May 5 a national holiday, but in Mexico, it is primarily commemorated in the state of Puebla. Mexican Americans recognized it in the 1860s in the southwest United States, and it has become a popular holiday in the US, celebrating Mexican-American culture. Typical dishes served during the holiday are mole poblano, barbacoa, carnitas, chilaquiles, tamales, and tacos.
• A popular family holiday is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a celebration to remember and honor a family's ancestors. Family members decorate the graves of their relatives who have passed on. Typical foods served for this holiday include empanadas, tamales, pan de muertos (a sweet bread in which a ring with a tiny plastic skeleton is hidden), and calaveras de azucar (sugar candy skulls). 

What is it like to be a kid in Mexico?

• Mexican children may live near the ocean or the gulf, in the desert, or in the mountains. 
• Kids often live with extended family, including grandparents. Their full names include their father's and their mother's.
• Most kids speak Spanish, but Mexico also recognizes 68 native languages. 
• They attend school from September through June. Large schools have two shifts—one group in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students are usually required to wear uniforms. 
• They may play soccer, baseball, and other sports. Jumping rope and other outdoor games are very popular. They might play a game similar to bingo called Lotería. It is played with picture cards and songs. 
• Corn tortillas are a staple for kids, along with beans and rice. For snacks, kids may enjoy fruit mixed with chili and lime, quesadillas, churros, and rice pudding.