If a Valencian recipe deserves the honour of occupying a place of VIP position alongside the Paella, then it is undoubtedly the horchata.

Horchata, the sweet, versatile drink that can be consumed both for breakfast and dessert, snack between hours and even as a resopar (nightcap) during summer holidays, is so popular among the inhabitants of Valencia that they always find new ways to enjoy it. One thing is clear, and it is the classic format to take it: horchata with fartons (elongated confectionery sweets). If you have never tried the orxata the Valencian, accompany it with at least one farton to feel the full experience. Be careful, it makes you fall in love.

In historical places

There is a temple of the horchata in Valencia. That place will be pointed out by  anyone you ask for the perfect place to try this tigernut-based drink: Horchatería Daniel. Its walls are full of photographs of the different celebrities who passed by there and elevated it to the category of great temple of the tigernut milk. It is located at the entrance of Alboraya, a town that today is attached to the city as another neighborhood. It is considered as the cradle of the tigernut for being the largest of the villages of l’horta nord that produce this tuber that serves as the main ingredient for the tigernut milk.

If you do not have time for a detour to Alboraya, you can taste the mythical products of Horchatería Daniel in its halls in the Mercado de Colón or in San Vicente Street.

On your skin 

Until recently, the most usual way to consume tigernut was  in liquid form, but different researches on this ingredient have discovered that it has so many health benefits that it is considered a superfood. That is why the same family that once founded Horchatería Daniel thought that its properties could also be useful for the skin, and took a step further in their eagerness to popularize the tigernut by launching Orx, a cosmetic line. This company offers the same creams that many of us use in our daily lives, but are made with tigernut extract: body milk, anti-aging cream, sun protection cream, micellar water

On the go

The official rules for enjoying horchata recommend that it is always taken seated on a terrace, but we understand that there are exceptions. Like when the sun heats up the asphalt of Valencia and we want to continue knowing all the hidden treasures of the city without making a stop. A bottle of water will cool you down, but a horchata on the go will give you all the energy of the Chufa and your walk through the city will be a 100% Valencian experience. In the city´s centre, you will easily find the small handcarts of Món Orxata, which revive the old tradition and sell the horchata in the streets. This horchata is made in Alboraya, and all the people behind these handcarts are women.

At home after your return

So that your love story with the horchata does not end in Valencia, there are also ways to take the original recipe from Alboraya back home when your journey ends. In the shops of Original CV that you will find opposite the Central Market or at the AVE (High Speed Train) station, there are so many formats of bottled horchata and chufa-made products that you may have to visit a suitcases shop first. You can even take a traditional small sack of Valencian tigernuts with designation of origin, to venture into your kitchen to prepare your horchata.