Okay, here’s my blog post about making Horchata de Morro, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I’ve been seeing “Horchata de Morro” all over the internet, and I was like, “What the heck is that?” I’m always up for trying new drinks, especially if they look refreshing. So, I decided to give it a shot.
First, I had to figure out what even goes into this thing. Turns out, it’s a type of horchata, which I’d heard of, but this one’s made with morro seeds, which are, from a calabash tree. I had to do some Googling to find a place to buy them. Thankfully I found the seeds, rice, and cinnamon sticks online.
Getting Started
Once I had all the ingredients, it was time to get to work. I’m not gonna lie, the process seemed a little intimidating at first, but it turned out to be pretty simple.
- First, I rinsed the rice really well.
- Then cracked cinnamon sticks.
- Cracked the morro seeds shell with a hammer.
- Then, I took a hammer and lightly tapped the morro seeds, then took a knife to cut into smaller pieces.
- I combined the rice, cinnamon, and the morro seeds in a bowl with some water, and let that whole thing soak overnight. This is apparently super important to soften everything up and get all the flavors to release.
Blending and Straining
The next day, the mixture looked, well, like soaked rice and seeds. Not super appetizing, but I had faith! I dumped the whole thing (water and all) into my blender and blended it until it was as smooth as I could get it. It still looked pretty grainy, but that’s where the straining comes in.
I got a fine-mesh strainer and lined it with cheesecloth. I slowly poured the blended mixture into the strainer, and watched the creamy liquid filter through. I had to squeeze the cheesecloth a bunch of times to get all the liquid out. This part was a bit messy, but totally worth it.
Sweetening and Serving
Once I had the strained liquid, I added some sugar, vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk to make it extra creamy. I stirred everything up until the sugar was dissolved, and then gave it a taste. Wow! It was surprisingly delicious – kind of nutty, a little bit sweet, and super refreshing.
I poured the horchata over ice and took a big sip. It was the perfect drink for a hot day! Honestly, I was pretty proud of myself for making this. It was a bit of a process, but the end result was so good. I’ll definitely be making this again.
I am feeling very satisfied to make a unique drink at home!
