Post #300342 by Scottes on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 6:43 AM

It sounds quite similar, though horchata seems to be made with tigernuts (chufa) rather than almonds. I would also have to guess that horchata does not contain orange flower water, which gives a very mild addition to orgeat.

It is quite simple to make orgeat - as long as you can find orange flower water. Making a small batch is not very expensive and doesn't take too long. Then compare orgeat versus horchata.

But something even simpler, if you're not one that demands exact ingredients: Try a couple orgeat drinks and substitute horchata. You may have to adjust the amount of horchata to get a good flavor. But in the end, if you like the drink that way, then stick with horchata. So it may not be an "official" Mai Tai, but if it's a Mai Tai you like then that is a good thing.