Horchata

Horchata or orxata is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of ground almonds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name comes from Valencian orxata, probably from ordiata, made from ordi (barley) (Latin *hordeata < hordeum). The French 'orgeat', English 'orgeat', and Italian 'orzata' have the same origin, though the beverages themselves have diverged, and none of them are typically made from barley anymore.http://www.wwnorton.com/POB/SpottedD/hundred.htm In Suriname there is a drink called orgeade which is made as a syrup, of sugar and almonds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to a folk etymology, James I of Aragon was offered a glass of the beverage by an Arab girl after his conquest of Valencia, and exclaimed, Aix? ?s or, xata! (This is gold, girl!).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Spain, it usually refers to orxata de xufes (horchata de chufas), made from tigernuts, water and sugar. Originally from Valencia, Spain, it is served ice cold as a refreshment. It has a regulating councilhttp://www.chufadevalencia.org/ to ensure the quality of the product and the villages where it can come from, with the Denomination of Origin. The village of Alboraia is well known for the quality of their horchatas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The idea of making horchata from tigernuts comes from the period of Muslim presence in Valencia (from the 8th to 13th century).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Mexico, it is a rice based beverage in Mexican cuisine. While the drink is usually white and "milky" it can be made dairy-free through the use of blanched almonds, though some recipes call for milk. Other ingredients often include sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, orange or lime. Though horchata was once typically homemade, it is now available in both ready-to-drink (shelf-stable or refrigerated) and powdered form in grocery stores.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Almond: :This article refers to the plant. For other uses see Almond (disambiguation)...

Rice: Rice (Oryza sativa) is a species of grass in the genus Oryza, native to tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, where it grows in wetlands. It is an annual plant, growing to 1-1.8 m tall, occasionally more, with long slender leaves 50-100 cm long and 2-2.5 cm broad. The small wind-pollinated flo...

Barley: Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. Barley is the fifth largest cultivated cereal crop in the world (530,000 km² or 132 million acres). Its germination time is anywhere from 1-3 days....