Agua de tamarindo

Agua de tamarindo is a sweet and sour, light brown agua fresca made by softening the pulp of tamarind pods in water, straining out the seeds and fibers, and sweetening the liquid. It is one of the standard aguas frescas of Mexico, sold at markets, taquerías and street stands in Mexico and the United States.

The fruit

Tamarind, Tamarindus indica, is a tree in the legume family native to tropical Africa, where it still grows wild. It reached South Asia long ago, which explains its name: Wikipedia and Spanish Wikipedia derive tamarind from the Arabic tamr hindī, date of India. Spanish and Portuguese colonists brought it to Mexico and Central America in the sixteenth century, and it became a staple of the region's cooking.

The fruit is a brown pod, 3 to 9 inches (7.5 to 24 cm) long according to Britannica, that does not split open. Inside, a sticky brown pulp surrounds up to a dozen hard seeds and is held together by tough strings. The pulp tastes both sweet and sour, growing sweeter as the fruit ripens. Britannica names Mexico and Central America among the places where tamarind is especially popular, and Spanish Wikipedia counts Mexico among the largest producers and consumers.

In Mexico

Tamarind pulp is used in Mexico for drinks, candy and sauces. Spanish Wikipedia notes that the pulp is mixed with sugar, or with salt and chile, and sold as dulces de tamarindo, and that it is made into tamarind hot sauce. As an agua fresca it is sold alongside horchata and jamaica, and Wikipedia's agua fresca article lists tamarindo among the most common flavors. Food writer Isabel Orozco-Moore notes that it is found at restaurants, street vendors and markets on both sides of the border. Concentrates and syrups are also sold for making it quickly.

Preparation

Whole pods are peeled to remove the brittle shell and as many of the strings as possible. The peeled pods are boiled briefly in water and left to soak until the pulp softens, which Mely Martínez of Mexico in My Kitchen gives as about two hours. The softened pulp is squeezed off the seeds by hand or blended, then pushed through a sieve. Sugar and more water are added to taste. Orozco-Moore suggests a squeeze of lime in each glass and notes that tequila or vodka can be added to turn it into a cocktail. Blocks of seeded pulp sold in Latin and Asian markets can be used instead of whole pods.

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.

Recipe

Reviews

See also

• Agua de jamaica
• Horchata
• Tepache

References

1. "Tamarind". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "Tamarindo". Wikipedia en español. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
3. "Tamarind | Tropical, Medicinal, Edible". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
4. "Agua de Tamarindo". Mexico In My Kitchen. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
5. "Agua de Tamarindo (Tamarindo Drink)". Isabel Eats. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
6. "Agua fresca". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.