What Horchata means
Horchata is a Mexican drink name of Spanish origin meaning "barley drink". It comes from Vulgar Latin hordeata (made with barley), from Latin hordeum (barley). It is pronounced or-CHAH-tah, and it is most associated with the whole country.
Came to Mexico from Spain, where Valencian orxata is made with chufa, the tigernut. The Mexican version is rice and cinnamon, so the barley named in the etymology is in neither drink today.
This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Agua fresca, horchata, atole, tepache, pulque, mezcal. Most Mexican drink names are the name of the plant or grain they are made from, and the agave spirits are named for the towns and regions that make them.
