Horchata Salvadoreña

This is not your typical horchata that you may have tried at restaurants here in the U.S... Horchata Salvadoreña is a bit different because it's made with multiple seeds that are toasted and grounded, but it's also water based. Every horchata in El Salvador may taste slightly different due to the ratio of the ingredients and some may omit certain ingredients or add different ones such as milk.

The recipe below is my grandma's recipe that my tia now makes for large events, if you don't want to make it from scratch they are some companies that sell the seeds grounded into powder and ready to make the horchata. This was my first time making it, here are my tips to make this easier:

• Use a big 'mantel para colar' which is a straining cloth or cheese cloth, you can also use a strainer with a handle.

• If you have a 'molino' or grinder/processor use it. I had to use my blender and it didn't pulverize it as much as I wanted it to and I had to use water to get it moving.

• Depending on how much you are making, big containers will help!

How to make horchata?

Ingredients: This batch will be enough for about 1- 1 1/2 gallons of water.

• 4oz morro seed

• 2oz peanuts

• 2 oz de sesame seeds

• 1 semilla de cacao o 1 tbsp of coaca powder

• 1 oz pumpkin seed

• 1 oz cinammon

• 1/4 tbsp Vanilla or to taste

• 2 oz dried corn

• 2 oz rice

• Sugar to taste

• 1 - 1 1/2 gallons of Water - this can be subbed with any milk you'd like or split.

Instructions:

1. Wash your rice and place it in water to soak for at least an hour. You can also toast this and pulverize it with the rest of the items.

2. Place a sauce pan on low heat, add the sesame seeds and toast until golden brown then place in a big bowl.

3. Turn up to heat to medium and toast the morro seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seed, cinnamon sticks and corn. Do it one by one or in small batches so that it toasts evenly. Anything already grounded will not need to be toasted.

4. Grind/pulverize or blend the mixture of everything; toasted seeds, the rice, any grounded spices, etc. I did it in the blender and I added the rice along with the water it soaked in to the blender to help me blend it better. If you are just making a batch that will be made immediately you can add as much water as needed. However if you are making a big batch to freeze and save for later add as little water as possible.

5. Prepare a container with the amount of water you want to use. i.e. We made a gallon so we used 1/5th of the seed mixture and one gallon of water. You will a los need a container with a wide opening and a strainer.

6. Pour half of the water to your paste/powder and mix it well. You can pour all of it at once if your container allows it, otherwise do it in batches.

7. Hold the strainer over the wide mouth container and start pouring the mixture into the strainer or cheese cloth with a ladle. Either with your hand or with a big spoon start to move the mixture within the cheese cloth to help the water strain through. Do this for the entire gallon of water and you should be left with about a gallon of horchata.

8. Add vanilla and sugar to your taste, mix well and store in the fridge in a glass pitcher. Each time before serving, mix it well with a ladle. Serve it over ice and enjoy with a Chicken Sandwich Salvadoreño.

For the video instructions visit me on social media @flourishwithg on Instagram or TikTok. Hope you guys enjoy this horchata, save it for those summer months!