How to Drink Horchata with Fartons

How do you drink orxata, or horchata?

“Te comas la puntita como si fuera un puro y lo metes en la horchata.” (in other words: “You eat the tip of the farton like it’s the tip of a cigar and then stick the farton into the horchata” so it absorbs some of the drink.)

This according to my friend Xavier, who sent me to El Siglo, where they’ve been making horchata in Valencia, Spain since 1836!  El Siglo is in La Plaza de la Reina.

As I’d gone this far in my life without consuming horchata, which you find all over Los Angeles, I wasn’t sure I needed it here in spain…until realizing what a historic local delicacy it really is.

California had barely been settled by the masses when this horchateria was already in full swing. It is now 173 years old. No wonder the woman seemed bored and frustrated when I asked if there was a menu.

In my stress of ordering quickly, I forgot about the farton although I’m not so sure it would have gone wellw ith my delicious granatizata (ice slushy) horchata with lemon. But it’s like a long sweet bread stick, described well here.

As I wondered what all the hubbub was about the horchata, a girl of 7-ish or so years walked in to ask the woman a question. Out came a plate of little brown-skinned tiger nuts, the base of horchata. The girl took a nut, then I did. The woman explained that the tiger nut is a tuber that grows in the ground, indigenous to Valencia. It was chewy with an almond / chestnut flavor. In olden days they ate the nuts as a snack, but no more.

Horchata is best the day its made. And she explained that bottled is no good with all the additives. Anticipating the answer, I asked if it had great health benefits.

What do you think?

On the other hand I know that the thick hot chocolate you get in Spain has health benefits and one should consume as much of it as possible!

They scoop the horchata from these big metal vats:

I literally cannot remember the last time I was at a McDonald’s in the US. Normally they barely seep into my consciousness..if you asked me where one was, I likely couldn’t tell you.
Here in Valencia, free wifi access seems to be nearly non-existant. It was with trepidation that I went into the McDonald’s to get the scoop. To my surprise:
It didn’t have the familiar McDonald’s grease smell.
2) It was decorated more swankily than an Italian furniture showroom.
3) Their music switched between hip hop and REM.
OK even their staff had these really cute shirts on with the M stitched on, in a hip DIY way.

I got an espresso with milk for 1.15 Euros (about $1.60) and surfed for 30 minutes, which is what you get with every purchase, no minimum.

The irony does not escape me that I who likes to discover and patronize independent small businesses is thrilled to have McDonald’s on hand here…and that I have been exposed to their marketing and am telling people about their campaign to buy and serve authentic food here in Spain.

Well I had to show my gratitude *somehow*. They’re certainly on the right track and it will be interesting to see if these concepts spread to the US. The only problem is I can only drink so much coffee.

Then I got a tip: Free public wifi access

A friend suggested going near the train station, a university, or library. At the Mercado de Colon (which is really just a small mall…boy the marketing is good) there is free wifi. Mon Orxata is a nice safe place to sit outside and enjoy orxata ( ”horchata” ) or an Illy cafe with all the surfing you want, on your own laptop.

Orxata is super sweet much like Thai iced coffee and is a regional specialty. Tonight I shall experience another regional specialty: wine!