A
liquid craze is sweeping across our nation from the south. This infectious drink has been carried
across continents and language barriers, through millenniums, and by all types
of people. I also hear it is trendy in Manhattan.
The title that
best sums up this drink process is "Horchata." (pronounced or-CHA-tah) A little known fact is that large portions
of Latin America are lactose intolerant.
Studies show figures as high as 30 percent! This trend is increasing among Americans as well. What can be done as a substitute turns out
to be an amazingly refreshing drink. It
perfectly compliments the spicy nature of Mexican food.
History
As a drink process, removing grain and nut oils and tasty nutrients and mixing them with
water is nothing new. All cultures have
done it like, well, forever. But the
Horchata - Chufa style - has its origin in ancient Egypt. Chufa is one of the earliest domesticated
crops and in fact, was found in vases and used in the embalming methods in the
tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. The Chufa nut was widely used in Egypt and
Sudan. The Arabs dragged the plant by excessive force to Spain during the time
of the Moorish kings (700 B.C. a 1200 A.D.). The eastern Spanish province of
Valencia was the best environment for growing Chufa. (remember Valencia: oranges, and Chufa nuts. Oh, and sausages, and paellas, and..)
This nut is like psycho good for your health, with high levels of iron and
potassium. It does not contain sodium, is very low in fat content, and is valued for its minerals and vitamins.
Wild and unfounded conclusions: The Egyptians knew something of the awesome life preserving qualities of this
little tuber. The Spaniards picked up this information second hand. (Think
fountain of life...) The honorary title "drink of the gods" pops up.
Plus I feel really good when I plant my extra long straw in and vacuum my tanker dry. You be the judge.
Technical details
Chufa
- Tiger nut (cyperaceae
cyperus esculentus) are the tiny, tuberous roots of a Middle-Eastern plant of the sedge family.
In other words, the Chufa (pronounced CHOO-fah) "nuts" are basically
the little pea sized roots of a middle eastern / African plant, that looks kind
of basic brown. It has a basic off-white flesh that you would suspect.
In other words if you hit an almond with a hammer you get similar pasty
goo. Technical enough?
Here
is a wild explanation of where the name "Horchata" came from. I found it on the internet, so it must be
accurate, right??
Well,
there's an old story about a girl in a little town that offered some of the
drink to the visiting King of Catalunya and Aragon. After enjoying the drink,
the king asked, "Que es aixo?" (What is this?). The girl answered,
"Es leche de Chufa" (Chufa milk - which was its original name), to
which the King replied, "Aixo no es llet, aixo es OR, XATA!" (This is
not milk; this is GOLD, CUTIE). The word "Xata" in Catalan - which
the King spoke - is an affectionate nickname for a child.
The fame spread throughout the country and the name of the drink started to be
known in Spanish as Orchata. Later, the H was added to the beginning.
Sounds pretty convincing, no?
The root meaning of the word Chufa is to
hiss at, laugh at.
CHUFA Horchata - Horchata de
Chufa
You will find Horchatas made from Chufa in most areas of Spain . It remains a very popular and refreshing
summer drink. This is the real deal,
the authentic and ancient recipe for Horchata from Chufa. Trust me on this one, Horchata made from
Chufa nut tastes nothing like Mexican Horchata made from rice. Don't confuse
the two because they are VERY different. And I have to add this little bit of funny: In Spain this drink is
accompanied by a 'farton', a foot long donut-like pastry to dunk in. Oh yeah, I'll have a farton.
1
lb. Chufas
1 Cup Sugar (or to taste)
2.3
Quarts of Water
1 Cinnamon Stick
Bathe your
naked Chufas very well, rubbing and rinsing them in clean water. If you find them having little hairy fibers,
get them off.
When they
are completely clean, drown them for 14 hours in cold water. (make good and sure they stay under.)
Rinse the
naughty little Chufas in clean water, until it is completely clear, then drain.
Mash the
Chufa or put them in a blender - to make them into a soft paste. Add a little
water if needed. (Some have told me
that it MUST be done with a mortar and pestle. I say Yeah, right.)
Add the 2.5
qt of water to the paste that you have made and put in the cinnamon stick. Stir and let it sit in a cool place (I have
heard fridges are cold) for 2 hours.
Add the
sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
Strain the
mix through a metal mesh filter, and then through a wet, damp cheesy
fine-cloth. Repeat until the strained
liquid does not have any particles left.
Particle man, particle man.
You now
have a fine, cloudy-milky liquid that keeps in the fridge for about four
days.
Try:
Serve the Horchata in slushy form as you would ice-cream. Simply put it in the
freezer, scraping the sides off and stirring occasionally or it will freeze ice
solid. Those freezing liquid cup
thingies work well.
RICE Horchata - Horchata de Arroz
Ah
rice, let me tell you the wonders of rice. Well, it is rice. Um, just rice. This is the Mexico's answer to
the lack of a Chufa. Often the Mexican
versions have milk in them as well. (no wonder they taste so good) I have never had good results from any
recipe that says to cook the rice. (or toast/fry/nuke the cinnamon stick)
Recipe: Same as above, use 2 cups rice. DON'T PEEL THE RICE! Soak time is about 8 hours.
Try adding a little Mexican dark vanilla.
(don't use imitation flavorings, vanilla, almond or otherwise.) eew.
On second thought,
I might give the cinnamon sticks the same soak-mash-strain treatment and see
what i get...
ALMOND Horchata - Horchata de
Almendra Almonds are
a so-so substitute for Chufas; you will end up with Horchata of the same
texture and approximately a somewhat similar taste. (not.)
Ingredients:
1
pound Almonds
1 cup (or to taste) sugar or sweetener
Half of a lemon
1 cinnamon stick (a heavy dash of powder can be used, but strain it out)
A miniscule dash of salt
61 oz. water
The first
step is to remove the skins from the almonds. The best way to do this is
to buy them already skinless. If
you are bored, or desperate, you will have to boil the skins off. Put the
almonds in a pot of boiling water and let sit until the skins become very
soft. With time, the skins will loosen and can be scraped off.
Crush,
mangle, or otherwise pulverize the almonds into a coarse powder. If you
boiled your poor little almonds to get the skins off, then mutilate them
(or put them in a strong blender while adding some water) into a mush.
In a
large bowl/container add the water with a tiny dash of salt. Slice and add
the lemon. (if you use cinnamon powder, you can put some in now.)
Mix in
the almond powder (or mush). Cover the container and let it sit at room
temperature for 2 hours.
Strain
the liquid with a fine cloth. Make sure you remove all of the large
particles. Otherwise you get scratchy throat feedback.
Add the
cinnamon stick and leave it in the fridge until it is VERY cold and
lonely.
Secret V.2 Horchata - Horchata
de YouWish.
I
will not divulge this recipe; it is completely my invention. It is not similar to any above. Want to try it? You will have to come to Sierra Vista, Arizona and buy some from
the little vendor shop in the Swap Meet.
(I have huge jugs. Umm, GLASS Jugs.)
Where
to get it?
Horchata mixes are common. They all taste from
bad to ok. Do not evaluate the drink by some off-the-shelf dusty old powder or brown concentrated syrup with no
expiration date. Fiesta is the largest
distributor, and has some decent product if fresh. (note that most of these contain milk solids and other scary
things, so think of it as an attempt to approximate only the flavor.) I love whatever they sell at
Someburros in Tempe. The only information I have about their source is Fresca-Carribe
(or carriba?) I have tried to find it online without success.
www.DonaJuana.com Hunt for the search button and search for
horchata to find it. (simple?) Chufa
version.
www.Tienda.com
also has a cheap supposedly authentic chufa version. I am still waiting for
this one to arrive.
www.MexGrocer.com
has small rice type powders, concentrates, and quick shipping. KLASS brand powder is really nasty - don't
waste your money on it.
Chufas
can be bought in Spain at little candy shops that sell nuts (frutos
secos). In the states you might find
some at health food stores or Mexican shops if you are a keen adventurous
hunter and happen across some divine intervention. There are a few big grocers in Mexico that carry them. I've read that Chufa is grown in the
Southern United States and can be purchased through farmer co-ops as seed.
Supposedly it is grown as a feed crop for game hunts. I have actually seen such items, and some people
have contacted me for advise on how to grow it. (www.tecomate.com,
www.Chufa.com)