horchata, which is original from valencia, is the traditional summer beverage in spain. looking like milk it is indeed the milk from chufas or tigernuts. a very refreshing nutritious beverage so in indulging you're killing two birds with one shot , no junk soda or empty calories here. the recipe slightly varies with every place so no two drinks taste the same.
there is also a social component to it because people meet in the places which sell it, called horchaterias, for a glass and a chat. and usually a cake or pastry goes with it too. it is the social institution called la merienda, a late afternoon snack that serves as an excuse for meeting friends and chatting about the day.
horchaterias are usually decorated with tiles and have marble tables which give them a clean and homey atmosphere. some of them like the santa catalina in valencia have been going for two hundred years and are proud keepers of their old fashioned flair.
with globalization filling the corners of the world with starbucks,horchaterias are charming bastions full of personality enticing people with their popular drink.
if you come across some tigernuts here's a recipe and some interesting trivia.
neki desu
