Milk Of The Tiger

The city of Valencia has much to be proud of.  In the past it was the capital of Spain and in 2007 it was host to the Americas Cup, yachting’s crème de la crème competition.   However for Valencians there is something far more important and prestigious.  To the north of the city lies the small village of Alboraya and it is here that a sweet drink called Horchata, made from the tiger nut was born.

The tiger nut tubers were brought to Spain in the 13th century during one of the many incursions by the Moors.  Luckily the villages near Valencia’s northern coast provide the mild climate and sandy soil that is perfect for growing the crop.

Over time more villages became involved in the growing and production of Horchata.  Today Alboraya and 15 other villages produce around 50 million litres of Horchata every year.  So popular is the drink throughout the region of Valencia that now there are special “Horchaterias” in most towns.  The Horchateria is similar to a small tea shop in the UK; it sells cakes, ice cream and soft drinks and is a traditional venue for family outings on Sunday. 

An extremely healthy drink, Horchata is cholesterol and gluten free and is rich in minerals and amino acids.  Good for the digestive system it is  also said to help in the reduction of certain types of cancer. 

Planted during March and April the fields of tiger nuts provide a welcome respite of lush green during the summer months while the rest of the regions landscape burns brown.  Harvest takes place in November when growers start to burn away the chaff.  The nuts are then collected and washed.  Dried out over a period three months the nuts will lose up to 40 per cent of their moisture.

The dried nuts are then soaked, ground and pressed into a paste from which the “milk” is squeezed.  Sugar and other ingredients such as cinnamon are then added according to each local producer’s personal recipe. With over 500 producers in the region the subutle variations are a delight to the connoisseur.    

This labour intensive process has changed little over the years.  Although fiercely proud of their tradition some growers have had to leave their land.  Children do not want to work in the fields for little return.  Land sold for redevelopment and other more commercially attractive drinks have all played against the individual grower.   However the government has recently given a much needed boost to production.

Horchata is now being exported mainly to neighbouring Portugal and France. The Consejo Regulador de Denominacion de Origin the regulatory body for quality assurance now actively promotes Horchata at trade fairs. Similarly the Valencian Polytechnic Agronomy Faculty has helped with the development of a more economic crop production.

Many good traditions die out.  Sometimes though in spite of modernisation they hang on and find a new lease of life. An it is nice to know that some tradations do really do what they promise; Horchata is one of them.

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