Aguas Frescas
Mexican food is popular, but Mexican drinks are also worth exploring. Mexicans seem to have a penchant for turning the simple into something wonderful, they do this to their food and their drinks. For example, “Aguas Frescas”. Literally translated, it means “fresh waters”. A nice cold drink of plain water is definitely a welcome experience on a hot day, but hardly a novelty at all. In Mexico, however, you would find Aguas Frescas, which is simply water, but infused with a variety of ingredients, producing a host of different flavors to choose from. To call it just a “juice” would be an understatement. For example, there is Agua de Jamaica, which is fresh water infused with hibiscus flowers, producing its signature red hue. It tastes like a fruit punch minus the spike. There is also the Agua de Horchata, which is fresh water with rice and cinnamon. Equally interesting for most Westerners ordering Aguas Frescas on the street is how locals serve and drink it: in a little plastic bag, using a straw.