Homemade tiger nut horchata
* Plus 12 hours of soaking
Tiger nut horchata is a milky drink, very typical of Valencia, made from this small tuber. It is drunk very cold and, above all, in the summer months.
According to legend, the name 'orxata' ('horchata' in Valencian) comes from the phrase King James I of Aragon is said to have exclaimed after tasting it for the first time: when he asked the name of such a delicious drink and the young woman who served it told him it was tiger nut milk, he supposedly exclaimed: "això no és llet, això és or, xata!" (this is not milk, this is gold, darling!).
What we do know for certain is that the tiger nut is a tuber with many associated benefits that was already highly prized in Ancient Egypt, where tiger nuts have been found in the tombs of the pharaohs as part of the funerary goods.
Tiger nuts did not arrive in Valencia until the 8th century, when the Arabs brought them to the Valencian town of Alboraya from Chuf (Sudan), considering the climate of the area ideal for growing them.
The etymological origin of the word 'horchata' comes from 'hordeum', the classical Latin term for barley, and more specifically from 'hordeata'. It is quite likely that this drink was originally made by macerating barley, which is why there are horchatas made from such diverse ingredients as oats, rice and sesame, among others.
Unlike the horchatas usually sold commercially, this horchata follows the standards of the original recipe: it is 100% tiger nut, it is made with only 3 ingredients and it is completely plant-based, so it is free of lactose, casein and harmful saturated fats, and therefore much healthier, with a richer and more sophisticated taste.
All this, together with its sweet flavor and a delicate, unmistakable and delicious tiger nut aroma, makes it a top-quality drink, ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack and, especially, to go with some tender and irresistible Valencian fartons.
As for its nutrients, thanks to the tiger nut, horchata is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, oleic acid (omega-9), amino acids, vitamins E and C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
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- Step 1Wash the tiger nuts and soak them for 12 hours, changing the water a couple of times.
- Step 2Wash and drain the tiger nuts, put them in the blender jar with 1/4 of the total water and blend well until you get a smooth mixture that is as liquid as possible.
- Step 3Over a large bowl, strain the horchata through a fine cloth to separate the tiger nut pulp from the liquid, squeezing by hand as much as possible. Add the rest of the water and the sugar and blend again so the ingredients combine well. Once the horchata is ready, serve it very cold.