Homemade rice horchata with cinnamon

Method

1. 1

   Rinse and soak

   Rinse 200 g white rice. Put it in a bowl with 500 ml of the water and one cinnamon stick. Cover and soak for 4 hours in the refrigerator at 4 °C (40 °F) or below.

   
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   White rice and a cinnamon stick soaking in a clear glass bowl.

2. 2

   Blend the rice

   Remove the cinnamon stick. Blend the rice with its soaking water and the remaining 1000 ml water for about 2 minutes, until milky. Work in batches if your blender is small.

   
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   Soaked rice and water blending into an opaque pale drink.

3. 3

   Strain well

   Pour through clean cloth or a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher. Press the solids gently to extract the liquid. Strain again for a smoother drink and discard the pulp.

   
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   Milky rice drink passing through a fine strainer into a pitcher.

4. 4

   Sweeten and flavour

   Add 80 g sugar and 5 ml vanilla extract to the strained liquid. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste before serving; changing the sugar amount also changes the nutrition estimate.

   
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   Sugar being stirred into a pitcher of strained rice horchata.

5. 5

   Chill and serve

   Refrigerate the pitcher for at least 1 hour. Stir again and pour into six glasses over ice. Keep chilled and drink within 24 hours.

   
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   Glasses of cold rice horchata over ice beside a pitcher.

The step photos are illustrative.