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Horchata
Horchata
As a child, my favorite drink was Horchata. For every birthday and holiday I would request for my grandma to make me this rich, sweet delicacy. I remember having a sense of pride whenever my grandma would make horchata and bring it to parties, or give it to my friends to try, because it represents my Mexican roots. Horchata is a part of my cultural identity because it is commonly consumed in Mexico, and is a prevalent aspect of Mexican traditions and cuisine.
This beverage is made up of rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and other spices depending on where one gets it. This aspect of my cultural identity because I have grown up with Mexican traditions, festivities, and cuisine. As horchata has made its way around the world, it’s cultural significance is very prevalent, especially in Mexico and America.
Horchata's cultural orgins
The origination of horchata has been believed to have occurred in Northern Africa. Deriving from North Africa, specifically the “Moors” are responsible for the diffusion of horchata. As it traveled around Europe, it became particularly popular for its so-called “health benefits”. Specifically, Mexican horchata has become popular for its distinct flavor, which has been tied to Mexican culture.
Through Spanish conquest, horchata emerged in Mexico. Mexican horchata is rice based, unlike the original “horchata de chufa” from Northern Africa, which was made with tiger nuts. In Mexico, one can see Horchata consumed at parties, sold at markets, and made in many households. As it adapts to different cultures through stimulus diffusion, they each add their own personal twist on it, such as incorporating different native spices and ingredients.
Photo by: Aurora Alvarez
Different variations of horchata
Different variations of horchata
As mentioned previously, horchata has adapted differently to different cultures. It is very common to see different versions of horchata in Latin countries, which can be attributed to Spanish colonization. In Valencia, Spain, horchata is made with chufa, which are called tiger nuts in English. Spanish horchata has a slightly bitter aftertaste, and isn't made with much sugar.
Mexican horchata is most commonly made with rice, and a lot sweeter compared to Spanish horchata. It usually contains flavors of rice, cinnamon, and milk. This is the kind of Horchata that I grew up with, and personally, I like to add vanilla extract as well!
Next, Puerto Rican horchata is the most unique flavor wise, being made with sesame seeds and has a very nutty taste.
Similarly, another distinctive version of horchata is Ecuadorian horchata. It is made with many herbs and flowers, then brewed as tea. It ends up with a vibrant pink/red color from the flowers.
Horchata varies from culture to culture. In some instances, drinks can be falsely advertised as a variation of horchata, even if it doesn’t contain the crucial building blocks of the drink.
Cultural appropriation of Mexican culture through horchata
Cultural appropriation of Mexican culture through horchata
Mexican Horchata has a very distinct flavor and trademark. It is valuable to Mexican culture, but has been marketed to other cultures, such as American culture, to the benefit of large corporations. They do not take into account the cultural symbolism of the beverage. Most often, they do not usually include all of the correct ingredients, but continue to label it “horchata”.
This drink is being culturally appropriated. In the U.S. many people are taking advantage of the cultural aspect of horchata by throwing the term in front of other beverages such as “horchata coffee” to make it sound more appealing to customers. It is a beautiful thing for cultures to share cultural traditions with one another, but credit needs to be given when one culture is benefiting off of another. For example, many coffee shops have implemented a combination of Mexican and American culture into their drinks. They have started to label some of their drinks as “horchata” or “horchata coffee”, but the beverages are not actually horchata. By doing this, the drink gains the appeal of supposedly having unique flavors from Mexico in it, but commonly, these coffee shops fail to include authentic ingredients, that would be in Mexican horchata.
Photo credits: Boulder Locavore
Although the recipe of horchata is subjective from family to family, each recipe consists of a variation of the traditional horchata ingredients. When going to any authentic Mexican restaurant or household, you can expect to see a similar combination of the core ingredients in horchata. Some large scale companies are simply adding coconut or cinnamon to a drink, and calling it horchata. This doesn’t qualify it as horchata. It just takes away from the Mexican heritage and tradition that comes along with real horchata.
Photo by: Pinterest
Health Benifits
Health Benifits
Along with horchata being an amazing tasting beverage, it also has wonderful health benefits! It is created with a variety of grains, nuts, and spices in it, which are all associated with good health.
In the early stages of this beverage, Romans used to believe that barley was healing and medically healed people. In ancient times Horchata was originally made with barley in Egypt and Rome. Another plus is that it doesn't contain chemical additives, unlike many popular beverages nowadays. This adds to the common belief that Horchata is healthy for you because it is made with natural ingredients, which usually does not cause any issues within the body.
Nutrition wise, horchata has a low fat content, as well as a variety of different antioxidants in it, which are proven to improve skin and hair health. It also provides the body with many vitamins including vitamins C and E. It also contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. Historically, because of all of these benefits, horchata has become known as a natural remedy in many cultures.
In conclusion, horchata has been a representation of my Mexican culture in my life since I was a child, and I have been interested to learn more about its origins, variations, and health benefits.
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