[Sca-cooks] How old is barley water?

[Suey]

Selene wrote:

> Wow.  The De Nola version sounds to me like a barley version of
> Horchata.
>
>   
Blast you guys you always catch me on something but I have to say thank 
you very much because you point out when and where I should do more 
research or review of my stuff to improve my input. There are Spanish 
references claiming barley water or whatever you call it comes from 
horchata. I avoided the subject today because it takes us back to 
chicken and egg debates. Who invented horchata? I have not gone back to 
the Greeks or Romans on this one. I am sure they had it too but my entry 
on Spain is:

"Sp horchata, L. hordea-ta (made with barley) fr. hordeum (barley), Fr. 
arjai (fr. ordí, barley), Eng. orgeat, a cooling drink originally made 
with barley. Later nuts of various types were used. It was a common 
drink among Hispano-Arabs, especially in Cordoba by the 10^th C at 
least. In 15^th C. Castile, it was made from orange* *blossom water and 
barley, almonds or other nuts. Later, Valencians substituted barley for 
rice. It was not until the late 17^th C that the earthnut or chufa was 
used to make the orgeat that is famous in Valencia today. "
So there you have your horchata - at one point Conquistadores must have 
taken rice horchata to the New World while in Spain the vogue turned to 
the earthnut. It is fascinating to learn about so many Spanish recipes 
stemming from the Middle Ages or before that have been discontinued 
apparently in Spain but are old hat to you guys today.
Suey