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Horchata de morro
Horchata de morro: toasted morro seeds, rice, cacao and spices ground and blended with milk into a nutty, spiced cold drink
In El Salvador horchata means horchata de morro, made with the seeds of the morro or jícaro tree, whose round gourds also become cups and bowls. It is poured from big glass jars at pupuserías every evening, sold in plastic bags with a straw outside schools, and drunk at home with Sunday lunch. Markets in San Salvador and Santa Ana sell a ready-ground mix, but toasting your own is easy: rice, morro seeds, sesame, pumpkin seeds and cacao, with cinnamon and allspice. The drink is light brown, cool and creamy, with a nutty, toasted taste, a hint of chocolate and warm spice; quite different from the white Mexican rice horchata. The common mistake is skipping the soak and blending the powder straight with water; it stays gritty and tastes thin. Let it soak at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. It is ready when it is smooth, beige-brown, coats the glass faintly and smells of toasted seeds and cinnamon. Outside Central America, look for semilla de morro or horchata mix in Latin shops; if you cannot find it, use extra pumpkin seeds and sesame. Chef's tip: toast each seed separately, because they brown at different speeds.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the morro powder
- 3 ½ oz long-grain white rice
- 1 ¾ oz morro (jícaro) seedsfrom Latin shops; or extra pumpkin seeds and sesame
- 1 oz white sesame seeds
- ⅔ oz cacao nibsor 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder added at blending
- 1 cinnamon stickabout 5 cm, broken up
For the drink
- 4 ¼ cups cold water
- 2 cups cold whole milk
- 3 ½ oz sugaror to taste
To serve
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Toast the 3 ½ oz long-grain white rice in a dry, heavy frying pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until golden and smelling of popcorn. Tip onto a plate.
8 minStep 2: Toast the 1 ¾ oz morro (jícaro) seeds seeds in the same pan, stirring, until they darken slightly and smell nutty. Add to the plate.
4 minStep 3: Toast the 1 oz white sesame seeds until golden and starting to jump, then the 1 oz hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) until they puff and pop, then warm the ⅔ oz cacao nibs for 1 minute. Add each to the plate and leave everything to cool.
5 minStep 4: Grind the toasted mix with the 1 cinnamon stick and 4 allspice berries in a spice grinder, in batches, to a fine powder.
5 minStep 5: Stir the powder into the 4 ¼ cups cold water in a jug and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
30 minStep 6: Blend the soaked mix on high until completely smooth, then strain through a fine cloth or nut-milk bag, squeezing hard. Discard the pulp.
4 minStep 7: Stir in the 2 cups cold whole milk and 3 ½ oz sugar until dissolved. Taste: it should be creamy, nutty and gently spiced. Chill well.
2 minStep 8: Stir before serving, as it settles, and pour over 12 ice cubes. It keeps 2 days in the fridge.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does horchata de morro take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 long-grain white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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Spanish