PLANT BASED
ORGANIC VALENCIAN TIGER NUTS
NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS
NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS
Discover Horchata
Horchata is a delicious plant based beverage with a rich, creamy taste and velvety smooth texture. It’s a refreshing and creamy beverage, perfect for every occasion.
Gretel & Belle’s Horchata is the UK’s first and only version of this 3000 year old drink.
Horchata’s global presence highlights the joys of sharing culture, community and food.
The many versions of Horchata tell a culinary tale of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those that came before us.
The best organic Valencian tiger nuts
Tiger nuts are small, nutritious and edible tubers that grow underground. Despite their name, they are not nuts but rather root vegetables. They have a naturally sweet flavour and a texture similar to a coconut.
The quality of our supplier’s tiger nuts are certified by the Regulating Council of the Guarantee of Origin Tiger Nut from Valencia.
The cultivation process of organic Valencian tiger nuts is lengthier and more labour intensive than that of conventional tiger nuts.
The farmers have years of experience and have followed the same traditional techniques for generations.
Gretel & Belle uses the highest quality tiger nuts, not only because it makes the best tasting Horchata but also to take care of the environment and preserve biodiversity.
West African Kunu Aya
Kunu Aya is a Northern Nigerian Horchata made with tiger nuts, coconuts, dates and ginger.
In the Northern Nigerian language Hausa, Aya means tiger nuts.
Spanish Horchata de Chufa
In Spain, home-made Horchata is served at cafe-style specialist stores known as horchaterias.
Chufa means tiger nuts in Spanish. Spanish Horchata is made with a tiger nut base and is often flavoured with a touch of lemon and cinnamon.
Valencia is the only province in Europe where Chufa is grown. Alboraya in Valencia is known as the “Land of Horchata” and is the world capital of Horchata.
Mexican Horchata de Arroz
Horchata de Arroz is traditional Horchata from Mexico.
Arroz means rice in Spanish. Mexican Horchata is made with a rice base.
Mexican Horchata contains dairy such as milk, evaporated milk or condensed milk. It is popular to have Horchata with Mexican food.
A brief history of Horchata
THE PAST
3000 BCE, Ancient Egypt
Tiger nuts are held in esteem and included in the sealed burial tombs of the noble classes.
THE PAST
200 BCE, Ancient Rome
Cato the Elder (Roman statesman, orator and author) recommends drinking barley water on a hot day.
THE PAST
8th Century, West Africa and Spain
The Moors bring tiger nuts (chufa) and Horchata to Spain and bring Horchata to West Africa. Nigeria’s Hausa people call the beverage Kunu Aya.
THE PAST
13th Century, Valencia
King James I of Aragon conquers Valencia from the Moors. Legend has it that upon first tasting Horchata, King James exclaims: “Açò no és llet, açò és or, xata”, meaning “This is not milk, this is gold, beauty”.
THE PAST
16th Century, Mexico
Spanish conquistadors arrive in the New World. They forget to bring tiger nuts, so instead they use rice to make Horchata.
THE PRESENT
Present Day, Nigeria and Spain
Homemade Kunu Aya and Horchata de Chufa remains popular in Nigeria and Spain respectively.
THE PRESENT
Present Day, Mexico and Guatemala
Rice based Horchata continues to be the norm.
THE PRESENT
Present Day, Latin American
In Southern Honduras and El Salvado, morro seeds and tiger nuts are used to make Horchata.
In other parts of Honduras and Nicaragua, Horchata contains jicaro seeds, rice and spices.
In Puerto Rico and Venezuela, Horchata is made using sesame seeds. Ecuadorian Horchata is infused with flowers and herbs.
THE PRESENT
Present Day, United Kingdom
Gretel & Belle’s highly anticipated Coffee Horchatas launch, it’s the first and only Horchata range in the UK.
We are using simple ingredients to make mouth-wateringly delicious coffee flavours of Horchata.
We hope you love every flavour and can’t get enough of this new chapter in Horchata’s history.