About the only time I don’t like washing my food down with alcoholic beverages is when I eat Salvadoran food. The reason for this? Horchata.

Nothing beats the sickeningly sweet, creamy taste of freshly-made horchata, with that nutty aftertaste.

Wait. Nutty aftertaste? Yes, nutty aftertaste. We’re talking about Salvadoran horchata here, not the rice-based Mexican variety.

Don’t get me wrong—I like Mexican horchata, too—but it doesn’t seem to have the complexity of Salvadoran horchata, the base of which is the morro seed, and often contains other nuts such as peanuts which are crushed and strained. When you’re done with a glass of Salvadoran horchata, there’s a residue on the bottom of your cup! Mmmmmmmmm!

Luckily, living here in Northern Virginia, you can find both varieties—even canned and bottled versions in your local grocery store. I found Mexican and Salvadoran horchata right next to each other at Shoppers Food Warehouse in Herndon, Virginia, as you can see in the above picture.

So, bottoms up! Enjoy a cool glass of horchata—preferably the Salvadoran type—but just try not to get diabetes in the process!

If you can’t find Salvadoran-style horchata from morro seeds, you can order it here on Amazon—and doing so will help support my writing in the process!

Mama Lycha Horchata De Morro Drink Mix, 12 Ounce

For more on the different types of horchata, including the Spanish and other Central American varieties, see the excellent Wikipedia entry for horchata.