Throughout the American Southwest, at taco trucks and Sonoran hot dog stands and in Mexican restaurants plain and fancy, the nonalcoholic drink menu features horchata. A rice milk beverage that varies from sake-thin to milk shake rich, it always is at least slightly sweet, and its starchy character makes it an especially effective emollient when eating very spicy food. It is always served on ice and often with a dusting of cinnamon on top. An Oaxacan restaurant called Guelaguetza in Los Angeles serves the most over-the-top variation, which includes chopped almonds, cantaloupe, and aromatic sweet cactus juice.
Horchata at El Norteño in Albuquerque, dusted with cinnamon.