Introducing Latraka: The Spanish Cream

Valencia, Spain - Latraka is a semi-traditional Spanish beverage with a twist. While chufas, or Tiger Nuts, are an edible tuber frequently used in Valencia to make horchata, a milky-looking drink that is the ideal thirst-quencher on hot days, Latraka records their first usage in an alcoholic liqueur available to the mass market.

Latraka began in 2022, when Founder Gerard Dacudao Del Rosario, who had built a factory to make virgin coconut oil, had to pivot due to high freight rates during the pandemic. He instead used the factory to produce a highly concentrated paste out of Chufas, and then tinkered with the recipe, eventually adding aguardiente as an alcohol, to give rise to the first non-dairy and entirely vegan cream liqueur from Spain.

Latraka utilizes the Chufa, a known superfood, which on its own can help with high cholesterol, as its main ingredient. The Chufa has been traced back to the vestiges of sarcophagi in Ancient Egypt, however, the tuber ultimately made its way to the Iberian Peninsula via Arab invaders. Since alcoholic drinks are forbidden by Islam, locals began drinking cold chufa milk, which is at the origin of today’s horchata valenciana and eventually the first alcoholic version, Latraka.

Latraka has a 17% ABV, and is best enjoyed cold. The milky yet fiery flavor can best be expressed over ice, however, the liqueur is endlessly versatile as a mixer for espresso martinis or even a supplement in eggnog. Since it is dairy-free, it allows everyone to enjoy the creamy luxurious texture.