Toasted Rice Horchata

Happy Cinco de Mayo, tea friends!

It didn’t occur to me until I made horchata for the first time that this refreshing beverage is basically flavored rice milk. Say rice milk and I feel like snoozing, but say horchata and I’m ready for a good time!The name of this recipe implies that I’m going to toast up the rice before making the horchata, right? Nope! By simply throwing in a few Genmaicha tea bags into the rice soak, the work is already done for me. Just that easy.

Genmaicha, or Japanese toasted brown rice tea, adds a roasty, sweet taste to the milk. Upon taking a sip, you won’t know that you’re drinking tea–you’ll just notice that the beverage has a nutty taste and aroma, and that it has extra depth in flavor.

My sweeteners of choice for horchata are either agave or regular sugar. An overly sweetened horchata can be unpleasant, so start with a quarter cup and only add more if you need to. The brand of almond milk you use will also influence how much sugar to add.

I like to give this Toasted Rice Horchata a quick zip in the blender just before serving. The creamy, slightly chalky texture of the milk holds a foamy top over which you can generously sprinkle some extra cinnamon. Try the tea-inspired version of this traditional Mexican drink and you may never go back to the original!

This post is sponsored by Yamamotoyama, purveyors of Japanese green tea since 1690. Please stop by their site for green tea steeping tips and more Genmaicha recipes. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support Thirsty for Tea!

Toasted Rice Horchata

Makes 1 large pitcher.

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice, washed

4 cups water

4 Genmaicha tea bags (I used Yamamotoyama’s Organic Genmaicha)

2 cups almond milk

1/3 cup agave, or to taste

1 Tbsp cinnamon, plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste

Equipment:

mixing bowl

blender

cheesecloth or nut milk bag

pitcher

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, water and tea bags. Allow this to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight at room temp.

2. Remove the tea bags, then transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend on high for a few minutes until it looks like milk. Pour the mixture through a strainer layered with several pieces of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and into a large pitcher.

3. Add the almond milk, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste to the milk and mix them in well with a wire whisk or in the blender until frothy. Serve chilled or over ice.

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Beatrice

Oh wow I would have never thought of putting genmai into horchata! What a genius idea Bonnie. Can’t wait to try it out for summer 🙂

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