Not too long ago I discovered the Mexican drink called Horchata. For those who are unfamiliar with Horchata, it is a Mexican beverage made traditionally from ground almonds, rice, barley or tigernuts. Horchata is typically available at Mexican food restaurants, convenience stores, and taquerias. While up until recently I had only been able to have this delicious Mexican beverage when out at a Mexican restaurant, I recently discovered Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix at a local Mexican grocery store here in Santa Cruz, CA. Now I am able to enjoy a glass of Horchata at my leisure and in my own home whenever I am in the mood for a glass of this creamy and delicious beverage.
The distinguishing characteristic of Horchata is its creamy texture. Although not strictly speaking a dairy product (even though Juanita’s Foods Horchata Mix does contain milk derivatives), Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix has what I would consider to be a creamy texture that is reminiscent of fresh dairy cream. The creaminess of the texture and flavor in Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix is the use of nondairy creamer as a base for the Horchata mix. Nondairy creamer is the number two ingredient, after sugar, and the combination of these two main ingredients is probably responsible for much of the creamy goodness in the Horchata mix. Rice flour also makes an impressive showing in the ingredients list for Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix, which is why a drink mix that is composed mainly of sugar and nondairy creamer can get away with calling itself Horchata. Regardless of the ingredients, though, I find that Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix is a close enough approximation of genuine Horchata for my purposes, and I greatly enjoy its flavor.
Another benefit of Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix is the fact that the mix can be made by the glass or by the pitcher. The container of Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix includes a single-serving scooper that allows one to prepare a glass of Horchata individually made from a glass of water and a single scoop of Horchata mix. It takes five scoops of Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix to make a thirty ounce pitcher of Horchata mix, so one of the downsides of Juanita’s Foods Horchata Mix is that it tends to disappear rather quickly if you make the mix by the pitcher-full regularly.
As for the preparation itself , I find that Juanita’s Foods Instant Horchata Mix works best if using warm water with the mix instead of cold water. Although Horchata is served cold, the warm water will help the Horchata mix powder to dissolve in the water. Once the Horchata mix has completely dissolved in the warm water, one can use ice or a refrigerator to chill the Horchata before serving. The package instructions recommend using a power mixer to make the Horchata, but I have not found this to be necessary if I use warm water to dissolve the Horchata mix.
In conclusion, Juanita’s Food Instant Horchata Mix is an adequate substitute for genuine Horchata that can be made in the comfort of your own home. While it does not really compare to the taste of real Horchata, I rather enjoy the flavor and texture of this easy to make instant version of the traditional Mexican Horchata from Juanita’s Foods.
