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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Gordon Cole-Schmidt

In search of Valencia’s ‘white gold’: my hunt for the perfect horchatería

A glass of horchata and a sweet farton at Horchatería de Santa Catalina in Valencia.
A glass of horchata and a sweet farton at Horchatería de Santa Catalina in Valencia. All photographs: Mirja Vogel Photograph: Mirja Vogel

It was a glimpse of an old couple sharing a tender moment in the bustling horchatería that drew me into one of Valencia’s most storied culinary traditions. As he sipped his milky horchata de chufa and a white crescent moon appeared on his coiffed moustache, they shared a soft laugh and she dabbed it away from his upper lip.

“There’s no fixed time to drink horchata,” the lady said. “As long we have at least one every day.”

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