Walk into most eateries on Cherokee Street and you’ll find an array of agua frescas (cold, flavored drinks). Some are fruity, touting flavors like mango and watermelon, while one, the horchata, substitutes milk for citrus.
Drinking a tall glass of milk with your torta, burrito or enchilada may not sound as appetizing as a beer or one of those bottled Coca-Colas, but something cool and creamy to coat your mouth after all that spice is a blessing, trust us. Made with rice milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and usually served over ice, a horchatas is a soothing, delicious accompaniment to your meal.
A horchata is comparable to almond or oat milk in color. Its thin consistency goes down smooth, and, just like milk, it’s quite thirst-quenching. The vanilla and cinnamon is what should pop in most horchata blends. It shouldn’t taste like liquefied tapioca pudding but rather a subtly sweet treat that’s creamy and unique.
The pequena (small) size is served in a whopping 20-ounce cup for just $1.65 at El Bronco on Cherokee Street.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.