El Dia de los Muertos, known in English as the “Day of the Dead,” is a Mexican holiday observed on Halloween. However, unlike Halloween, El Dia de los Muertos is about much more than just dressing up; it carries spiritual meaning as well. The holiday is meant to bring family and friends together to celebrate the lives of those who have died.
Growing up so close to the Mexican border in Los Angeles, El Dia de los Muertos was a large part of my upbringing. I fondly recall going down to Olvera Street in the fall, an area of Los Angeles with a large Mexican population.
Already a festive place, Olvera Street would particularly light up with celebration in the fall. The preparations for El Dia de los Muertos would prompt the sale of sugar skulls, the appearance of women dressed up with faces painted like skeletons, the hanging of colorful decorations, and of course, the making of horchata.
Horchata is a drink made differently in different parts of Latin America and Spain. It usually includes some kind of grainy milk, cinnamon, and sugar, with recipes differing regionally. However, in honor of El Dia de los Muertos, I decided to make Mexican horchata. If you’d like to celebrate with a nice glass of horchata as well, check out the recipe below.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups rice
8 cups water
1 cup chopped medjool dates
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups almond milk
Agave syrup
Directions:
Soak rice in warm water for two hours.
Toss rice, chopped up dates, vanilla, and crushed up cinnamon sticks into blender.
Once blended to a smooth consistency, use a tightly woven strainer to strain out any large chunks of cinnamon sticks.
Add almond milk to blended mixture and stir in agave syrup to taste.
Enjoy with a cinnamon stick, hot or over ice.
Reach Opinion Editor Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
