Aguas frescas


Aguas frescas are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in Mexico, Central America, and parts of the United States such as the Southwest. Some of the more common flavors include tamarind, hibiscus, and horchata.
Aguas frescas are sold by street vendors, but can also be found in bodegas, restaurants and juice bars.

Terminology

There is some confusion in terms internationally between the drinks referred to here and bottled soft drinks. In Guatemala and Nicaragua, these are referred to as frescos, short for refresco, which in Mexico means soft drinks. Soft drinks in Guatemala are called aguas, short for aguas gaseosas, but easily confused with the Mexican aguas frescas.

Types

In Mexico, it is common to find aguas frescas in these flavors:

Sweet fruits