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Agua de jamaica

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Drink
Also known as: Agua de flor de jamaica, Hibiscus agua fresca, Jamaica cooler

Agua de jamaica is a tart, deep red agua fresca made by steeping the dried calyces of the roselle plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa, in hot water, then sweetening and chilling the infusion. It is one of the most common drinks served with meals and tacos in Mexico.

Contents
  1. The plant
  2. In Mexico
  3. Related drinks
  4. Preparation
  5. As an agua fresca
  6. Recipe
  7. Reviews
  8. See also
  9. References

The plant

Flor de jamaica is not a flower petal but the fleshy calyx, the cup of sepals around the flower, of roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa, a plant in the mallow family. Wikipedia describes it as native to Africa, most likely West Africa, where it was first domesticated for its seeds and later for its leaves and calyces. It spread to Asia and the West Indies in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Wikipedia's hibiscus tea article states that the drink was introduced to the Americas by enslaved Africans and likely first grown in Brazil. Mexico grows roselle mainly for its own market, while China and Thailand are the largest producers, according to Wikipedia and Spanish Wikipedia.

In Mexico

Spanish Wikipedia describes agua de jamaica as a cold infusion drunk with meals across Mexico and valued for its flavor and low cost. It is one of the standard aguas frescas, alongside horchata and tamarindo, sold from large jars at markets, fondas and taquerías. Its taste is sharply tart, often compared to cranberry, and it is usually sweetened generously. The steeped calyces are not always thrown away: they are also cooked and served in tortillas as tacos de jamaica, a dish popular with vegetarians.

The same calyces make drinks across the tropics. Wikipedia lists bissap in Senegal and Burkina Faso, zobo in Nigeria, sobolo in Ghana, karkadé in Egypt and Sudan, and sorrel in the English-speaking Caribbean, where it is made with sugar and spices. Hot infusions are sold as hibiscus tea.

Preparation

Recipes differ mainly in strength. México Desconocido simmers a large quantity of flowers in half the water for 15 to 20 minutes, then strains and dilutes with sweetened water. Rick Bayless's recipe boils the water, adds the flowers and sugar, and lets them steep off the heat for one to two hours before straining and adding more water. Some cooks add cinnamon, ginger, orange or mint. The infusion stains, so it is best kept in glass or other nonreactive containers.

As an agua fresca

Aguas frescas, literally fresh waters, are light drinks made by blending or steeping fruit, cereals, flowers or seeds with water and sugar, served cold and ladled from large jars. Wikipedia's agua fresca article reports that people in Mexico flavored water with fruit and flowers long before the conquest, and that after the sixteenth century sugar became the usual sweetener while Old World ingredients such as hibiscus, tamarind and rice joined the repertoire. They are sold by street vendors and in markets, restaurants and juice bars, and have become common in the United States. In Nicaragua and Honduras the same drinks are called frescos. Jamaica, tamarindo and horchata are the three flavors most often found at taquerías.

Recipe

Makes About 2 quarts (2 liters), 6 to 8 servings · Time: 10 minutes active; 1 hour steeping; chilling

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (about 2 oz / 60 g) dried flor de jamaica
  • 6 cups (1.4 liters) water for steeping, plus 3 cups (720 ml) to dilute
  • 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups (150 to 250 g) sugar, to taste
  • Ice and lime slices to serve (optional)

Steps

  1. Rinse the dried flowers briefly in a sieve.
  2. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a stainless steel or enameled pot, add the flowers and sugar, and stir until the water returns to a boil and the sugar dissolves.
  3. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 1 to 2 hours.
  4. Strain into a pitcher, pressing the flowers to extract their liquid. Save the flowers if you want to make tacos de jamaica.
  5. Stir in the remaining 3 cups of water, taste and adjust the sugar.
  6. Chill and serve over ice.

Steeping much longer than 2 hours can make the drink bitter. The concentrate can be kept undiluted in the refrigerator for several days and diluted as needed.

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Hibiscus tea". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Roselle (plant)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Flor de Jamaica". Wikipedia en español. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Agua de jamaica". México Desconocido. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "Jamaica "Flower" Cooler". Rick Bayless. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "Agua fresca". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Aguas frescas Drinks Nonalcoholic drinks