We've been seeing this pop up on our menus of late — Starbucks launched a Horchata Frappuccino in America and local outpost Crackerjack serves up a stack of Horchata pancakes for brunch — and its been lauded as the new superfood to be introducing to our diets; popular versions of the drink is made with chufas (read: tigernuts), which are tubers of a plant called yellow nutsedge that's high in iron, potassium, magnesium and Vitamins C and E.
But here's the real question on our minds: what exactly is horchata?
But here's the real question on our minds: what exactly is horchata?
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A common ingredient in horchatas is the tiger nut, tubers of a plant called the yellow nutsedge
The Lowdown
It may be new to us now but horchata is wildly popular throughout Puerto Rico, Central America and Mexico through the Yucatan Peninsula. It's essentially a drink made with several ground ingredients – almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, tigernuts or melon seeds – although every household, restaurant or tacqueria worth its salt will have their own recipe of the beverage. No two horchatas are the same.
Today, the beverage can be purchased in sachets or in a bottled syrup form from the supermarkets and one can easily replicate the drink at home without the hassle of grinding up various nuts and spices with a mortar and pestle. The drink is deliciously refreshing when served over ice, making it the perfect beverage for the tropical weather we get in Singapore.
The Rise in its Popularity
Its popularity soared when food establishments started look for sustainable alternatives to conventional dairy. For many, horchata is the answer. It's versatile, inexpensive and unexpectedly nutritious. You can sweeten it with some condensed milk for a deliciously creamy fix or molasses to keep it light and vegan. And its powdered form means that it can be incorporated into dishes in different ways. The sky's the limit; horchata doughnuts or cakes anyone?
It may be new to us now but horchata is wildly popular throughout Puerto Rico, Central America and Mexico through the Yucatan Peninsula. It's essentially a drink made with several ground ingredients – almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, tigernuts or melon seeds – although every household, restaurant or tacqueria worth its salt will have their own recipe of the beverage. No two horchatas are the same.
Today, the beverage can be purchased in sachets or in a bottled syrup form from the supermarkets and one can easily replicate the drink at home without the hassle of grinding up various nuts and spices with a mortar and pestle. The drink is deliciously refreshing when served over ice, making it the perfect beverage for the tropical weather we get in Singapore.
The Rise in its Popularity
Its popularity soared when food establishments started look for sustainable alternatives to conventional dairy. For many, horchata is the answer. It's versatile, inexpensive and unexpectedly nutritious. You can sweeten it with some condensed milk for a deliciously creamy fix or molasses to keep it light and vegan. And its powdered form means that it can be incorporated into dishes in different ways. The sky's the limit; horchata doughnuts or cakes anyone?
