The quintessential Mexican agua fresca, Horchata is a milky, ice-cold beverage made from long-soaked raw rice blended with blanched almonds, Ceylon cinnamon, and vanilla, then strained through muslin into a sweet, refreshing liquid that is at once creamy, aromatic, and cooling. It is the perfect elemental counterbalance to the fiery heat of chiles, offering the sweet earthiness of rice and the floral warmth of cinnamon as counterweight.
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Combine the raw rice, blanched almonds, and cinnamon sticks in a large bowl. Pour in the warm water and soak for a minimum of 4 hours , or overnight in the refrigerator. The water will turn milky and the cinnamon will perfume the soaking liquid.
Pour the entire soaking mixture, including the cinnamon sticks, into a blender. Blend on the highest speed for 3 full minutes until the mixture is as smooth as the blender can achieve.
Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth over a large pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the cloth, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract every drop of liquid. Discard the solids.
Add the remaining cold water to the strained liquid. Stir in the sugar until completely dissolved. Add vanilla extract and milk if using.
Taste and adjust sweetness or cinnamon intensity. Refrigerate until very cold.
Serve over a generous amount of ice in tall glasses. Stir well before each serving as the rice starch will settle. Garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
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