Rinse the rice under cool water. Place it in a large bowl and add the cinnamon stick.
Add water until covered for about 2-inch (5cm) and let it soak for at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight.
Add the soaked rice and cinnamon along with the soaking water to a blender. Blend it on high until it is completely smooth (about 3-4 minutes).
Strain the liquid into a large pitcher and discard the leftover pulp.
Add ⅔ of the strawberries to the blender with half a cup of water and blend until smooth. Strain into the pitcher.
Add the almond milk, vanilla extract and stevia to taste. Stir well until combined.
Chop the rest of the strawberries and add to the horchata, adjusting also the other ingredients to your taste (sugar, extracts).
Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and let it cool for 1-2 hours before serving. Or you can also serve with crushed ice on tall glasses immediately.
NOTES
Don't add ice to the pitcher with the horchata because it will dilute and become less flavoured, instead, add the ice to glasses and serve as you go.
If strawberries are not in season, you can also use frozen strawberries to make this fresca. You don't even need to thaw them, just blend them with the other ingredients.
If you don't have cinnamon sticks, you can use grounded cinnamon. 1 tablespoon should be enough for this recipe.