Have you ever had horchata? Heard of horchata? (the “h” is silent. Pronounced or-cha-ta) No? I’ve bet you’ve at least seen it. Maybe. The next time you go to your local family run Mexican restaurant, look around and see if you see a milky looking drink on a counter or bar somewhere. That’s horchata! And it’s delicious!

What is horchata? It’s a traditional Mexican beverage usually made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, tiger nuts, or melon seeds. The most typical version is made of rice. Horchata varies in taste across Latin America. In Guatemala and Mexico it is made of rice, sometimes with vanilla and always with cinnamon.

We first tasted and made horchata at home last summer. We fell in love and decided right then and there that we would make up a giant batch of it for Miss 4’s Cinco de Mayo Five and Fabulous birthday party this year! I’m so excited for everyone to try it. It’s so creamy with just the right amount of sugar and hint of cinnamon. Miss 4 and her sister, Miss 19 month old love it!

I got so lucky when searching for a recipe for horchata. The first one I found is a true winner!! It’s by Tastes Better From Scratch. This recipe will not disappoint. Don’t me afraid to try it, I promise you will like it!

Don’t be tempted to buy the mix for horchata that you can find on the Mexican food isle at the grocery store. Don’t do it! It tastes NOTHING like the real deal. Here is Lauren Allen’s real deal recipe for homemade horchata. Enjoy!!

We used her exact recipe and quadrupled it. Yes! We quadrupled it, we love it that much. Be sure to serve over ice! And if you want to be really authentic, get one of those cool containers Mexican street vendors serve horchata and aquas frescas out of. I don’t have one (but I’d love one for Christmas ) so I used the next best thing, a large glass canister. Use a ladel to serve in ice filled glasses.