One of the most delicious plant milks to make when summer comes around would be tigernut horchata, especially in the Mediterranean area. Both tigernut and almond milk have been well-loved drinks for centuries in all Valencian Community, Catalonia, Balearic Islands and the south of Italy.

Horchata doesn’t hold up to high temperatures well, and therefore will ferment very fast. This is the reason why it’s been traditionally kept in cork vessels surrounded by ice. As it’s usually drunk cold, horchata is quite a refreshing drink, but also a rather nutritious one, providing lots of minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, fibre, vitamins and aminoacids.

Traditionally, horchata is enjoyed along some kind of bun known as “fartón”: a delightful combo which those of us with a sweet tooth will surely appreciate!

Though, what does the melon have to do with all this, you may wonder.

As you know, being near a Vegan Milker will boost your creativity, making you want to try all kinds of different flavour combos which are not only delicious, but nutritious too. Now that it’s summer and there’s a lot of fresh juicy produce laying around, we’re tempted to experiment with fruit to create the most delicious shakes. This horchata drink, made with seasonal fruit is not only scrumptious, but super easy to make too!

One of our favourite summer recipes which we’ll be sharing right now:

MELON HORCHATA SHAKE WITH A HINT OF BANANA

• 250 grams tigernut horchata
• 100 grams melon
• Half a banana

Instructions

1. Start by making your homemade horchata. Many of you will know the recipe by now, but those of you who haven’t tried it yet can look up the recipe here: Homemade tigernut horchata.
2. It’s important to let the horchata chill in the fridge for a day at least, as it will take the flavour to the next level and make the shake way tastier.
3. Cut a 150 gram piece of melon, peel it and chop it. It should be around 100 grams once peeled, but the amount is orientative, so you can use a bit more or less.
4. Cut a banana in half and peel only the part you’re using (this helps reducing waste). It’s important to use a ripe banana to naturally sweeten your shake.
5. Attach the filter to the Vegan Milker jar and add the ingredients in the following order: banana, horchata and melon.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Release the filter attachment and press with the mortar to squeeze the last droplets of shake.
8. You’ll see there’s a bit of leftover puree in the bottom of the filter. You have two options here: eat it with a spoon like that, or add it to the milkshake for some extra fibre. This second option is really nice, you can’t really notice the difference in texture.
9. Serve cold and enjoy!

Have you tried making milkshakes using plant milks and fruit? What’s your favourite combo? Please, do let us know!