Spain·Valencian Community·Alboraya
Horchata
Valencian tiger nut drink
A refreshing Valencian drink made from tiger nuts, water and sugar, served very cold, often with fartons.
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 0 min
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Servings
- 4
Soaking and resting: 26 h (not included in the total)
Ingredients
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Preparation
Tips
- Change the soaking water as often as stated until it runs clear: this leaves the tiger nuts clean and well hydrated.
- Strain patiently and press the pulp well: the smoothness of the drink depends on it.
- Adjust the sugar at the end: it dissolves better if blended with the tiger nuts, but you can taste and add more.
- As it has no preservatives, keep it in the fridge and stir before serving, since it separates.
Variations
- No added sugar: horchata can be made unsweetened and sweetened to taste just before serving.
- In Valencia it is traditionally served with fartons, an elongated sweet bun that is dipped in the drink.
- Some preparations add a touch of cinnamon or lemon; artisan horchata differs from industrial pasteurised versions.
Story of the recipe
Horchata: where it comes from.
Valencian horchata is made from chufa (tiger nuts), a tuber whose cultivation was introduced by the Arabs to Spain's Mediterranean coast during the Middle Ages. Its main production area is Alboraya, in L'Horta Nord of Valencia, and the tiger nut has a protected Designation of Origin.
Legend has it that King James I named it in the 13th century when tasting it, exclaiming «això no és llet, això és or, xata», which would give the name. However, this account is not rigorously documented, and other explanations derive the word from Latin «hordeata», a barley drink, from which the Italian orzata and the French orgeat also come.
Sources
By RecetarioMundo.