Bottom line: Admit it. You probably thought Horchata originated in Mexico. It did not, my friends, but it was definitely perfected there and in the United States over the last 30 years.
The tasty, rice-milk drink originated as something called kunnu aya in West Africa in the 11th century (and maybe as far back as 2400 B.C.), made its way to Spain, then leaped across the Atlantic to Mexico, and finally to the U.S. sometime later.
Now, it’s a staple of taco shops across the country and is just a perfectly satisfying drink experience. Get your horchata on your Instagram account the next time you grab tacos.