Horchata

Ingredients

• 7 ozlong-grain white rice, uncooked, rinsed once
• 2cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1 quartwater, room temperature, for the soak
• 3 1/2 ozgranulated sugar
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1 1/8 lbice cubes, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Put the rice and the broken cinnamon sticks in a large bowl or pitcher and pour the water over. Cover and leave on the counter overnight, or at least eight hours. The rice will swell and go chalky white and the water will smell strongly of cinnamon.

2. 2

   Tip everything, soaking water included, into a blender and run it on high for a full two minutes. It should look like thin white paint. A short blend leaves grit that no amount of straining will fix.

3. 3

   Pour it through a fine strainer lined with a clean dish towel or a double layer of cheesecloth, gathering the cloth and squeezing to get everything through. Rinse the cloth and do it a second time. The second pass is what makes it smooth rather than sandy.

4. 4

   Stir in the sugar and the vanilla extract until the sugar has completely dissolved, then taste. It should be sweeter than you think while warm, because cold flattens sweetness. Refrigerate until properly cold.

5. 5

   Stir well — it settles hard and separates in the fridge, which is normal — and pour over glasses packed with ice cubes.