Some very refreshing drinks

[labradors]

There are three particularly refreshing beverages popular among the Hondurans: horchata, jamaica, and tamarindo.

Tamarindo simply consists of steeping peeled tamarind seeds (along with the gooey pulp that surrounds them) in boiling water, straining it out, adding as much sugar as you like (usually quite a bit, since tamarind rather acidic), then serving with ice.

Jamaica is just the Spanish word for "hibiscus," and the drink is made by steeping the dried flowers of a particular, red hibiscus in boiling water, straining, and adding sugar (not as much as for tamarindo, though), then serving with ice.

Horchata requires a little more work, but is every bit as refreshing. This should not be confused with the horchata of Spain (which is made with "tigernut" tubers) , nor with "orgeat" syrup (whose name shares the same etymology, but is not otherwise related). It is a rice drink with many variations throughout Latin America. Here is the recipe for how it is made here:

Honduran Horchata

Ingredients:

• 2 C Uncooked rice
  
• 2 C Morro (Calabash or Bottle-gourd) seeds, or 2 C Roasted peanuts
  
• 1/4 C Lemon peel
  
• 2 1/2 C Sugar
  
• 18 C (4 1/2 Qts) Water
  
• 4 Three-inch-long cinnamon sticks

Instructions:

1. Wash the morro seeds, dry and toast them on a comal (or in a clean, dry frying pan), together with the cinnamon. If using the peanuts, you may wish to add some ground cinnamon, since the peanuts had not been toasted with the cinnamon.
   
2. Soak the rice in water (not the water from the ingredients, unless you remember to save it), drain and mix with the seeds/peanuts.
   
3. Place in a blender and grind well, adding a little water, as needed. Better yet, use a mill, if you have one.
   
4. Strain using a fine sieve.
   
5. Add the rest of the water and the lemon peel.
   
6. Sweeten with the sugar and serve with ice.

Any of these drinks can be just the right thing on a hot, tropical day, but they are equally refreshing at any time.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Interesting, Labs. I still forget that you and Roxanne have such different climates from us. "...just the right thing on a hot, tropical day...."

I like the idea of the hibiscus, but doubt I'd ever be able to find any except online, maybe.

[labradors]

Oops!

Forgot to mention that the tamarind and the hibiscus are very often available in small, Hispanic grocery stores. They often just have the stuff in bins and sell it by weight. It doesn't take much of either (but especially not the hibiscus) to make the drinks. Great stuff!!!

If you need to check such a store, and have problems with the language, pronounce them this way: "tah-mah-REEN-doh" and "hah-MY-cah" (second syllable "MY" as in "belonging to me").

Sometimes, they're even available in <gasp!> health-food stores.

[Roxanne 21]

Those are "exotics" here, labs-----interesting though