There are few things more Valencian than horchata. Which was why at some point I had intended to blog about it. That is, until I met Neima Briggs, a fellow Austinite (i.e. from Austin, Texas) and recent Fulbright fellow to Valencia, but most important, perhaps the world's biggest chufa fan. Here is a guy who practically bleeds horchata. I was so impressed with his personal passion for the topic that I invited him to write an entry on it himself. Neima first came to Spain (to San Sebastian-Donostia in the Basque Country) back in 2009. But he returned to the horchata heartland, Valencia, in 2011-2012 on a Fulbright Research Grant to study —no, not horchata— antibiotic resistance development in bacteria residing in the gastrointestinal tract of humans, and how that resistance transfers between mother and infant. But he still found time while he was here to explore all aspects of Valencia's most famous refreshment. Below he provides you with a window into the long history and local love of the chufa, and even his own recipe! Following his year here, he will return to the United States to begin his studies on an MD/PhD at the University of Texas School of Medicine at Houston.
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| Two large glasses of horchata without sugar (left) and horchata granizada (right), which has a frozen slushy consistency. The dessert shown is a tart made with a cream from tigernuts. |
It is unknown precisely when Valencianos first started
squeezing the milk from the tigernut ("chufa"), but written records have accounts of the drink existing as
early as the end of the first millennia during the Muslim occupation of Spain.
The name orxata, is believed to derive from the Valenciano word ordiata, ordi
meaning barley in Latin. However, ask a local vendor at an horchatería in
Valencia and chances are they will tell you the local folk story of its
origin. It is said that when James I of Aragon (a.k.a. Jaume I) came to the Kingdom of Valencia to help solidify relations
before the impending Muslim invasion, he was approached in Alboraya (a
small town on the outskirts of the modern Valencia capital city) by a small
girl carrying the drink. After sipping the drink, he told the child, "Açò és or, xata!" ("That's
gold, darling!"). Whether or not this is the true etymology of the word,
for locals the drink is as precious as gold.
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| Shown here is the tigernut plant (photo from tigernut.com), a small tuber plant with the tigernut itself growing in the ground. Harvested between April and September every year, fields and fields of it can be seen on the northern outskirts of Valencia. |
A name familiar throughout most of Latin American, up into the
southern United States, horchata exists in many forms. Known as horchata de arroz (white rice) to Americans
and Mexicans, although similarly prepared,
the milk extraction from rice creates its own distinct flavor. The source of the milk varies greatly worldwide, ranging from
ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts. To make local varieties even more distinctive, spices and flavors are commonly added, including an 18 herb infusion in Ecuador, cocoa and
nutmeg in El Salvador and jicaro seeds and spices in Nicaragua and Honduras.
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| Basket of cleaned tigernuts made available for consumption for patrons at Horchatería Daniel. Sold in small packs for individual consumption or in larger bags for making horchata. |
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| Given the regional craze for all things chufa, there is naturally a local organic beer brewed from the tigernut, too. |
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| Exterior photo of Horchatería Daniel from Hola Valencia |
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| Two traditional glasses of horchata with fartons (pastries in between the horchata) and churros (fried bread with sugar on top), the latter of which is usually eaten with thick melted chocolate. A delicious and filling Valencian treat at Horchatería de Santa Catalina! |
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| Horchatería de Santa Catalina: Beautiful and typically Valencian hand-painted tiles encompass horchata drinkers as they enjoy it inside one of Valencia's favorite establishments. |
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| Its iconic exterior façade. |
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| The Falla de Santa Catalina even included a miniature rendition of the Horchatería El Siglo in its 2012 falla. |
So now that you are addicted to Valencia’s liquid gold, you'll want to know how you can get more when you go home. Luckily, bottled horchata is sold all around Spain in grocery stores. Before you leave Valencia, you might also consider the fact that many horchaterías (and at the airport) sell a condensed horchata, so at home you can turn a one liter bottle into five liters worth of delicious enjoyment. Do you think bottled horchata is just not the same as that overwhelmingly delicious fresh-made hortchata? For those returning to the United States or anywhere in Europe, there is a Spanish food distributor LaTienda.com where you can order food to fill all your Spanish cravings (no need to stuff your suitcase with tigernuts!). They sell a bottled brand of horchata, Chufi.
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| Neima Briggs, today's guest author, showing his love of Valencia at Sevilla's Plaza de España |
That said, I have found making the horchata myself fun and without question well worth the effort. At $18 a bag, you can treat yourself to four liters of horchata spread out over the course of months. Although once made the horchata will go bad after a week, the nuts stay good for two years when placed in a well-ventilated dark space (best in a dry portion of the refrigerator). The recipe is quite simple and, building from years of practice, I have include my recipe below for those adventurous enough to try it. If you are interested, click the link below and keep reading...
