MexicoGrittiness is the one thing that ruins horchata, and it almost always comes from two places: not blending long enough, or using too coarse a strainer. Two full minutes on high in a good blender, followed by a double layer of cheesecloth, gives a smooth result every time. If you're still getting grit after straining once, strain again. The second pass takes two minutes and fixes it completely.
For a quick version when you don't have time to soak overnight: blend the dry rice in the blender until it's a fine powder, then add the water and cinnamon and let it sit for just 1 to 2 hours. The fine powder soaks faster and blends more completely than whole soaked grains. The flavour is slightly less developed but the texture is actually cleaner.
Horchata (Mexican Rice Drink)
By Sergei Martynov
Raw rice and cinnamon sticks soaked overnight in water, then blended and strained into a cold, lightly sweet drink. The technique is almost meditative: most of the work happens while you sleep, and finishing it takes ten minutes. The result is nothing like the thick, over-sweetened horchata from cartons — it's cold, milky without being heavy, with a clean cinnamon finish that lingers.
Key Ingredients
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 200 g
See recipes with long grain white ricelong grain white rice, uncooked (jasmine or basmati work well)
i - 2
See recipes with cinnamon stickscinnamon sticks, broken in half
i - 1 l
See recipes with cold watercold water, for soaking
i - 500 mlSee recipes with cold water
cold water, for blending and adjusting
i - 240 ml
See recipes with whole milk or evaporated milkwhole milk or evaporated milk (or oat milk for dairy-free)
i - 60 g
See recipes with granulated sugargranulated sugar, adjust to taste
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with vanilla extractvanilla extract
i - 1
See recipes with pinch of ground cinnamonpinch of ground cinnamon, to serve
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Rinse and soak. Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear — this removes excess surface starch that would otherwise make the finished drink cloudy and gluey. Put the rinsed rice and broken cinnamon sticks into a large bowl or pitcher. Pour over 1 litre of cold water. Break the cinnamon sticks in half before soaking: the exposed inner surface releases far more flavour than the outer bark alone. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, overnight if possible. The longer it soaks, the more cinnamon flavour saturates the rice water, and the more the rice softens for easier blending.
- 2
Blend in batches. Transfer the soaked rice, cinnamon, and all the soaking water to a blender. Do not discard the soaking water — it already carries significant rice and cinnamon flavour. Blend on high for 2 full minutes until the rice is pulverised into a very fine paste and the liquid looks opaque and creamy. If your blender is small, work in two batches. The blending step is the most important one for texture: under-blended rice leaves gritty particles that no amount of straining fully removes.
- 3
Strain carefully. Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth over a large pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through slowly, pressing on the solids with a spatula to extract every last bit of liquid. The rice pulp left behind is spent — discard it. If the strained liquid still feels slightly gritty on your tongue, strain it a second time through clean cheesecloth. Most batches need only one pass with good cheesecloth, but a second strain costs almost nothing and guarantees a smooth result.
- 4
Add milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the milk into the strained rice water. Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Taste now and adjust: add more sugar if it needs sweetness, more milk for creaminess, or more cold water to lighten the body. The sweetness level in horchata is entirely personal — some people want it barely sweet, others want it like a dessert drink. Traditional Mexican horchata is fairly sweet; adjust to what actually tastes good to you.
- 5
Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving — horchata is always served cold. To serve, stir or shake the pitcher well, since the rice starch settles to the bottom quickly. Pour over plenty of ice in tall glasses. Dust with a pinch of ground cinnamon. Keep leftover horchata in a sealed container in the fridge and stir before each use. Drink within 3 days for the best flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does horchata turn out gritty — how to fix it?
Grittiness almost always comes from one of three places: not blending long enough (the rice needs at least 2 full minutes on high to become a smooth paste), using a strainer that's too coarse (fine-mesh plus cheesecloth, or strain twice), or not soaking long enough (at least 8 hours so the rice softens enough to blend properly). If the finished drink still feels gritty, strain it again through clean cheesecloth. A second pass almost always fixes whatever the first missed.
Can horchata be made without dairy — vegan version?
Yes, and this is not a compromise. Traditional horchata in many Mexican regions is just rice, water, cinnamon, and sugar — no milk at all. Milk is a common addition for creaminess but it's a variation, not the original. For a dairy-free version, substitute oat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk in equal amounts. Coconut milk gives the richest texture. Full dairy-free with just rice water is lighter but equally refreshing.
Why soak the rice overnight — can you speed it up?
Soaking does two things: it softens the rice so it blends into a finer paste with less grittiness, and it lets the cinnamon slowly infuse the water. Quick version: cover the rice and cinnamon sticks with boiling water and let sit for 1 to 2 hours before blending. The result is slightly less developed in flavour but perfectly drinkable. Even faster: grind the dry rice to flour in the blender first, then add the water and cinnamon and soak for just 1 hour. The powder soaks through in a fraction of the time.
What rice is best for horchata — does the variety matter?
Long grain white rice is the standard: jasmine and basmati both give a clean, neutral flavour that lets the cinnamon come through clearly. Short grain white rice also works. Brown rice adds a slightly nutty undertone and is harder to strain clean. Never use cooked rice or seasoned rice — only raw uncooked white rice gives the proper starchy milkiness that makes horchata taste like horchata.
How long does horchata keep — why does it separate?
Horchata keeps for 3 to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Separation is completely normal: rice starch settles to the bottom. Stir or shake well before each serving. By day 3 the flavour starts to shift slightly toward sourness; the drink is still fine but best in the first two days. Never leave horchata at room temperature for more than two hours — the rice starch can ferment.
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Comments (1)
The order you add ingredients to the blender matters for horchata. Liquids first, then soft ingredients, frozen items last. This creates a vortex that pulls everything down evenly without air pockets.