What does agua fresca taste like?
Agua fresca tastes like fresh fruit turned into a light, cold drink: juicy, lightly sweet and thinner than juice, often with a squeeze of lime.
Agua fresca
light, fresh fruit water
Agua fresca means "fresh water," and it's Mexico's everyday cold drink: fruit, flowers or seeds blended with water and a little sugar, then strained. It tastes like the fruit, only lighter and more refreshing than juice. Watermelon is sweet and clean, cantaloupe is mellow, pineapple is tangy. Jamaica (hibiscus) is tart, ruby red and a little floral, and tamarind is sweet and sour. Horchata, the creamy rice drink, is technically an agua fresca too. They're usually served from big glass jars called vitroleros.
Where you’ll see it
At taquerias and Mexican restaurants, often by the glass from big jars on the counter, with flavors that change daily. Common ones are jamaica, horchata, tamarindo, sandía (watermelon) and piña.
Order it if you want something cold, fruity and lighter than soda with tacos.
Quick questions
- What flavors of agua fresca are there?
- Lots. Jamaica (hibiscus), horchata, tamarindo, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, cucumber-lime and strawberry are the most common.
- Is agua fresca sweet?
- Lightly. It is fruit, water and some sugar, so it is less sweet than soda or juice, but it depends on the shop and the fruit.