To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month I made my favorite agua fresca recipe for the first time. It only has 3 ingredients and is easy to make.

Pauline VillegasOct 5, 2022, 02:02 IST

This easy to make agua fresca recipe is the perfect beverage for everyday meals.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Aguas frescas are traditional Mexican beverages made with fruits, flowers, or seeds.
Growing up, my family enjoyed aguas frescas with everything from tacos to ceviche.

Aguas frescas are traditionally sold at taco stands in Mexico, throughout Latin America, and parts of the United States.

Different flavors of aguas frescas can be found at food stands across Latin America.©fitopardo/Getty Images

As a Black and Mexican American woman, Mexican cuisine was a large part of what I ate, growing up. My maternal grandparents are from Chihuahua and Jalisco, two states in Mexico with largely different cuisines.

When they immigrated to Los Angeles, a taste of home could be found in the aguas frescas served at taco stands and restaurants throughout the city.

As a kid my favorite flavor was agua de Jamaica, a tea made with hibiscus leaves and served cold. This 3-ingredient drink can be bought or made at home with this simple recipe.

Aguas frescas can be made with a variety of different ingredients. Some popular versions of the Mexican drink include horchata, a rice-based cinnamon drink, and limon pepino, a lime and cucumber blend.

When they immigrated to Los Angeles, a taste of home could be found in the aguas frescas served at taco stands and restaurants throughout the city.

As a kid my favorite flavor was agua de Jamaica, a tea made with hibiscus leaves and served cold. This 3-ingredient drink can be bought or made at home with this simple recipe.

For agua de Jamaica or hibiscus tea, you only need three main ingredients to create this tasty beverage.

This easy to make agua fresca recipe is a fresh beverage that celebrates Mexican culture.Pauline Villegas/Insider

I decided to try the easy recipe to celebrate my Mexican heritage while making the beverage for the first time on my own. To make agua de Jamaica all you'll need is:

2 cups of hibiscus leaves (I found some at my local Mexican grocery store, but you can also order the flower online for about $10.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 quarts of water, chilled

For appliances, you'll need:

a pot
a pitcher
a spoon (to stir)
a strainer (optional)

I decided to try the easy recipe to celebrate my Mexican heritage while making the beverage for the first time on my own. To make agua de Jamaica all you'll need is:

2 cups of hibiscus leaves (I found some at my local Mexican grocery store, but you can also order the flower online for about $10.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 quarts of water, chilled

For appliances, you'll need:

a pot
a pitcher
a spoon (to stir)
a strainer (optional)

To start, add two quarts of water to a pot. Cool water works best as it preserves the flower's flavor.

Begin by pouring cool water into a pot with no heat.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Don't boil the water until you add the Jamaica leaves in the next step. Since this agua fresca includes flower leaves, the concentrate is most flavorful when seeped for longer.

Next, add two cups of dried hibiscus leaves to the water and bring to a boil.

Since this agua fresca is technically a tea, the measurements can be tweaked depending on how strong you want it to be.Pauline Villegas/Insider

The tea leaves should be soft and pliable for a sweeter flavor. Brittle Jamaica leaves can still be used, but your agua fresca will have a bitter taste.

Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat level to low and let the tea simmer for 10 minutes.

The entire process takes less than 20 minutes, and the agua fresca will keep fresh for days.Pauline Villegas/Insider

After ten minutes is up, turn off the heat and allow the Jamaica concentrate to cool.

While the tea simmers, add 1/4 cup of sugar to your pitcher.

Since I didn't want it to be very sweet, I decreased the amount of sugar.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Many agua de Jamaica recipes call for 1/2 cup or even 1 cup of sugar, but since I like my drink tart I cut the amount in half. For those that like teas on the sweeter side, you can also add cinnamon or agave syrup.

Once you add your desired amount of sugar, add about a quart of cool water to the pitcher and stir.

For this step, add filtered water directly into the pitcher to mix with the sugar.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Since the boiling tea acts as a concentrate, this sugar water mix helps dilute the flavor and gives the agua fresca a hint of sweetness.

Once the tea concentrate has cooled, you can use a strainer and pour the tea directly into the pitcher.

Though a strainer isn't necessary, it makes the pouring process easier.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Be careful, as the concentrate is still hot at this step. I waited about ten minutes to let it cool. If you're anything like me, you may want to do this step in the sink to avoid spilling.

After you've added the Jamaica tea, stir again for about 30 seconds to make sure the sugar has evenly dissolved.

If you like a more subtle taste, you can further dilute the Jamaica with cool water and stir.Pauline Villegas/Insider

At this phase, your mixture should still be hot enough for the sugar to break down. If the tea isn't h0t enough, you can add less than a cup of boiling water.

When you're done, serve over ice and refrigerate any leftovers to keep the tea fresh.

The boiled Jamaica leaves can be used as a garnish when you serve.Pauline Villegas/Insider

Overall, the entire process was much easier than I expected and reminded me of summers with my family. Since I recently moved away from my family in Los Angeles, I've cherished doing things that remind me of home.

As a child, Jamaica always felt like a special treat. Now that I successfully recreated the recipe at home, I can see myself keeping my refrigerator stocked with this delicious agua fresca year-round.

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