Horchatas, also called aguas de horchata, are a popular type of drink in Mexico most commonly made with rice, but they can also be based on many other ingredients, from almonds to barley or oats to coconut—which are also delicious. My favorite has always been the kind made with rice. Not only are horchatas based on different ingredients, some are made with water, while others use whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, or evaporated milk, or even a combination of milks, in addition to the water or in place of it. I’ve had many versions, and I like those with some milk because they have a thicker and creamier mouthfeel, so that’s what this recipe calls for. But feel free to make it with water only, adjusting the consistency to suit your taste.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 cups

　　2/3 cup medium-or long-grain white rice

　　3 cups warm water

　　1 (2-inch) piece Mexican cinnamon stick

　　1 cup sugar, or more if needed

　　2 cups whole milk

　　Ground Mexican cinnamon

　　

Step 1

Put the rice in a blender or spice grinder and process until completely pulverized, with a flour like texture. (Alternatively, you can leave the rice whole if you prefer.) Combine the rice powder, warm water, and cinnamon stick and stir with a whisk until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

　　

Step 2

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until as smooth as possible. It will feel slightly grainy but should not be gritty. Strain into a pitcher through a sieve or colander lined with a couple layers of cheesecloth, pressing the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the sugar and milk, then taste and add more sugar if you like.

　　

Step 3

Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve over ice, topped with a sprinkling of the ground cinnamon.

　　

Step 4

In downtown Oaxaca’s Mercado 20 de Noviembre, there’s a stand called Doña Casilda, where they add about 2 tablespoons worth of chunks of cantaloupe and red prickly pear and 1 tablespoon of pecans—or a combination of those—to a tall glass of horchata, depending on your preference. The prickly pear makes the horchata turn a light shade of pink, and the chunks of fruit and pecans complement the horchata wonderfully.

　　

Step 5

Or, to make a coconut horchata, add 1/2 cup of ground blanched almonds to the rice powder mixture before you soak it, and 1 cup of fresh coconut flesh when blending the rice mixture. If the consistency is too thick, add water.

　　

Step 6

To make a nut horchata, add 1 cup of raw nuts (almonds, cashews, or peanuts) to the rice powder mixture before soaking, then proceed as directed.

　　Reprinted with permission from Paletas, Authentic Recipes For Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice, & Aguas Frescas, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. As the country's most authoritative voice on Mexican sweets, FANY GERSON has been featured in the New York Times, Gourmet, Fine Cooking, Daily Candy, Village Voice, NY Daily News, Time Out magazine, and New York magazine, among other publications. She recently launched the acclaimed La Newyorkina, a Mexican frozen treats and sweets business that began with her love for paletas. A graduate of the culinary Institute of America, Fany has worked in a range of fine-dining kitchens around the world. Visit www.lanewyorkina.com for more information.