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Horchata de chufa
Tiger nut milk
Valencia's chilled tiger nut milk with cinnamon and lemon
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups cold waterplus more for soaking
- 3 ½ oz sugarto taste
- 1 strip lemon peel (optional)no white pith
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 9 oz dried tiger nuts (chufas) well under cold running water, rubbing them between your hands to wash off any grit. Cover with plenty of cold water and soak in the fridge for 24 hours, changing the water once. They're ready when they're plump and you can dent one with a fingernail.
Step 2: Drain and rinse again. Put them in a blender with half of 2 cups cold water and blend on high for 2–3 minutes, until you have a fine, milky pulp.
3 minStep 3: Add the rest of 2 cups cold water, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 strip lemon peel and leave in the fridge for 1–2 hours to infuse; this draws more flavour from the pulp.
Step 4: Remove the cinnamon and peel. Strain through a nut-milk bag or a sieve lined with muslin, squeezing hard to get all the liquid out. Strain a second time for a really smooth drink.
5 minStep 5: Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar until completely dissolved, tasting as you go. Horchata should be sweet but not syrupy.
Step 6: Chill very well, at least 2 hours, and stir before serving in cold glasses with a pinch of 1 pinch ground cinnamon. Keep in the fridge and drink within 2 days; it ferments quickly.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does horchata de chufa take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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