The ancient wisdom of ancient civilizations
Ancient civilizations such as the Sumerians, the Incas, the Mayans, the Iberians and the Celts used legends to understand the mysteries of nature and transmit values and laws to their communities. These stories, full of beauty and mystery, served to illustrate, educate, warn about dangers and warn about the future if the established precepts were not followed. Through these stories, civilizations protected and kept themselves under control, avoided offending their gods, and promoted moral behavior.
The inheritance of past cultures
Each region is heir to the cultures that previously inhabited it. We admire the impressive constructions they erected with proto-technological methods, we use infrastructures that are still standing, we adapt primitive languages and we have inherited their legal reflections. However, we have left legends aside as obsolete, naive and ridiculous. We live in the era of scientific truth, although we fall for fake news on social networks without questioning its veracity.
A cultural treasure to protect: horchata
Although this article may seem to exaggerate in its introduction, the topic I am going to talk about, although simple, is valuable. I am talking about horchata, not just the drink, but the experience of ‘going for a horchata’, a tradition that, although it lacks scientific studies to back it up, is a social health pill with zero side effects. Going for a horchata is an activity for the whole family, where children play, teenagers enjoy themselves, and grandparents pray that neither the doctor nor his wife catches them enjoying the sweet pleasure.
The tradition of going to have a horchata
Horchata can be consumed at any time of the year, but ‘go have a horchata’ is mainly associated with summer. In places like Cal Jijoneru, you can find various variants of horchata such as Mig-mig, Sospir, Flotaor or Cubanito, among others. Each of them offers a unique and refreshing experience for those seeking to enjoy this tradition.
The evolution of horchatería
It is difficult to differentiate between an individually owned Jijoneru and one belonging to the La Jijonenca chain because many maintain their original names even though they belong to the chain. Mexico is a town in Alicante known for the production of nougat. Nougat producers, facing concentrated demand during the Christmas season, were looking for ways to diversify and during the summer they sold ice cream with mobile carts. More than 50 years ago, a group of artisans came together to create facilities where they produced ice cream, horchata and nougat under the common brand La Jijonenca, which today has 900 establishments in Spain and functions almost like a cooperative.
The simplicity of an afternoon of horchata
Spending an afternoon drinking horchata involves having light conversations, preparing trips, remembering past vacations or telling family stories. When words are scarce, you can turn to the intriguing history of the name horchata, which comes from the Latin hordeata, meaning ‘barley water’. During the 18th century, horchata went from being made with barley to almonds, a luxury at that time, until tiger nuts began to be used to reduce costs, mainly in the Valencia area, where tiger nuts are grown.
Legends and facts about horchata
Although the real history of horchata is fascinating, the legend behind it is even funnier, even if it has no documentary basis. It says that a young woman offered the king of Aragon, Jaime I, a white and sweet drink. Upon tasting it, the king exclaimed that it was not milk, but gold, calling it “gold, chata!”, giving rise to the name horchata.