Agua de jamaica

Agua de Jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-cah) is a staple in Mexican beverages. It's typically served as an iced  tea to accompany meals. Mexican folklore says the first Agua frescas were made by Aztecs, from fruits gathered around Tenochtitlán and chilled with ice from nearby dormant volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. The hibiscus flower is actually not native to Mexico but they have a long history of being used as a traditional remedy for high blood pressure. Lots of good health benefits to drinking cold or hot, packed with antioxidants, our ancestors were onto something. This type of drink is also popular in other parts of the world like Caribbean, Egypt, and China.

This recipe is super basic and can be used as a base to make your favorite cocktail or cocktail and you can add all sorts of flavors/garnishes. You can find dried hibiscus flowers (for tea) and can be found at your local Latin markets or online. It's inexpensive and great soda alternative for parties. I like to add a concentrated version to a glass of Topo Chico mineral water and it's soooo crispy and divine. 

Suggested garnishes to add at serving time: slices limes and mint leaves are favorites but you could experiment and add all kinds of different flavor & visual enhancing elements. 

If you want to make a smaller or single serving of this recipe use the following measurements: 1 tbsp hibiscus, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup of water

Agua de Jamaica

Hardest part of this recipe is finding and buying your dried hibiscus flowers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 6

Method: simmer

Category: cold drink

Cuisine: Mexican

Equipment

• pot

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
• 3/4 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 6 cups of filtered water
• juice from 1 lime
• ice
• optional garnishes

Instructions

1. quickly rinse dried hibiscus leaves in a colander (gets dust and debris off)
2. add the now clean hibiscus flowers to your empty pot
3. add 6 cups of filtered water to pot
4. bring water to a boil, stirring frequently
5. reduce heat to low, gently simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while. the color will turn a deep red.
6. turn off heat, let cool enough to handle
7. strain the liquid into another container, squeeze as much liquid from the petals as you can, they absorb a lot of liquid
8. add sugar (or sweetener of choice) adjust amount as desired
9. squeeze in juice of 1 lime
10. refrigerate and serve over ice
11. store in closed container, will stay good in refrigerator for up to 3 days

Print Recipe