HORCHATA DE ARROZ.... Nothing better for hot weather!

Horchata de Arroz, Rice Drink Mexican Style, nothing better for a hot day!

One of the most iconic drinks in Mexico, or should I say Latin America and even Spain, is Horchata de Arroz, a rice drink which offers amazing refreshment and flavor on a hot day!

A little more involved than the regular lemonade or Agua de Jamaica, but definitely worth the effort, here's what you'll need to make it amazing!

HORCHATA DE ARROZ.-

1 Cup White Rice, Raw (I use Long Grain)
1 1/2 Ltr Water
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 piece whole Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Cane Sugar (your choice) -or-
Condensed Milk (quantity is your choice)
Water
Ice

Put a liter of water into a pan and bring it almost to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the rice and cinnamon stick. Leave it resting from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Place it all in the blender, or use an immersion blender or what you have available, add the tsp of ground cinnamon and blend until everything is really well incorporated.

Now run the contents through a sieve and put in a pitcher. You can now add some of the evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Add the rest of the water as needed and either the sugar or condensed milk and mix well. Taste to insure it tastes the way you like. Add ice and serve. Enjoy!

NOTES: You can top with a little ground cinnamon if you like, it adds to the flavor. The same can be used of the cinnamon stick and vanilla extract. You can try with small quantity and add cane sugar and then take another test sample and add condensed milk so you can compare the difference in flavor and sweetness. Also, insure you only use WHITE rice as the brown rice does not work well.