A guas frescas are to Mexico and Latin America what sherbet [drink made of fruit or flower petals] is to the Subcontinent — a perfect blend of refreshing and sweet, found in every home and market and sold by the local vendors/thailaywalas.

Translated literally, aguas frescas means ‘fresh waters’ and, true to its name, this beverage — made from fruits, flower petals, seeds or cereals blended with water and sugar — is a welcome drink in the abyss of summer.

Just like sherbet, aguas frescas’ origins are centuries old and can be traced back to the pre-Columbian Aztec Empire in Mexico. The drink was probably made from fruit grown along the canals in Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) in the 15th century and served cold — it was cooled with ice brought down from the nearby dormant volcanoes, Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl.

While fruit is still the traditional flavour, other popular versions include horchata (made from tiger nuts) and the flower hibiscus. One can find agua fresca made from chia seeds, the prickly pear cactus (it has a surprisingly sweet taste) and alfalfa.

Beat the summer heat with the popular and refreshing Mexican drink known as agua fresca

Aguas Frescas

Make the overbearing heatwaves a little more tolerable with these quick-to-make, refreshing drinks. While nothing can beat lassi or a glass of Rooh Afza, aguas frescas come close and are made with fresh fruit to boot.

Make sure to make the drinks a couple of hours ahead, so they’ve had enough time to chill in the fridge; and serve it with plenty of ice. While I’ve made aguas frescas from watermelon, mango and pineapple, this drink can be made with any fruit combination — just make sure to follow the 1:2 ratio of fruit to water and you can’t go wrong.

If the fruit you’re using is sweet, it’s a good idea to add a sour element in — a kick of tamarind or a squeeze of lemon juice.

I prefer a more subtle taste, but if you like your drinks on the sweeter side, feel free to add more sugar. Explore other sweeteners that are healthier and have a more subtle flavour, such as honey or melted gurr (jaggery).

You can also give it a Mexican twist by adding agave syrup, a traditional sweetener made from the agave plant, which has a subtle, sugary kick.

For the Watermelon, Mint and Tamarind Agua Fresca Ingredients

5 cups water
2 ½ cups watermelon, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped mint
¼ cup sugar, preferably fine sugar or any other sweetener, such as honey or melted gurr/jaggery
Tamarind paste, as needed
Fine/granulated sugar, as needed

Method

1. Pour water, chopped watermelon and mint in a blender. Pass the resultant mixture through a sieve to remove pulp.

2. Add the filtered juice to the blender again and mix with sugar or sweetener of your choice.

3. Pour tamarind paste on a plate — spread it out evenly. Flip a serving glass, with the rim facing downwards and rotate it on the plate to coat it with the tamarind. In a separate plate, evenly spread out fine/granulated sugar. Take the tamarind-covered glass and rotate it in the sugar, so it sticks to the rim. This will add a tamarind kick with every sip, while the sugar crystals balance out the sourness of the tamarind. Repeat this step as many times as needed. When done, pour in the watermelon-mint agua fresca in the glasses.

4. Decorate with a lemon wedge or watermelon piece, skewered on a cocktail pick.

For the Mango and Pineapple Agua Fresca Ingredients

5 cups water
1 ¼ cup mango pieces
1 ¼ cup pineapple pieces
¼ cup sugar, preferably fine sugar or sweetener of your choice, such as honey or melted gurr/jaggery
Lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Method

1. Pour water, chopped mango and pineapple in a blender. Pass the resultant mixture through a sieve to remove the fruit pulp.

2. Add the filtered juice to the blender again and mix with sugar or sweetener of your choice. Squeeze in some lemon juice, if you prefer a sour kick.

3. Decorate with a lemon or pineapple wedge or a mango slice, skewered on a cocktail pick.

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 9th, 2024