Agua de Jamaica
The ruby-red hibiscus agua fresca that lives on every Mexican fonda counter. Tart, floral, and deeply refreshing — brewed from dried jamaica flowers, sweetened just enough, and served over plenty of ice.
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
10 minutes
Servings
6
Difficulty
Medium
1 Ingredients
- 1 cup dried jamaica flowers (flor de jamaica)
- 1.5 liters (6 cups) water, divided
- 3/4 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- Ice cubes, to serve
2 Instructions
- 1
Boil the jamaica flowers in 1/2 liter (2 cups) of the water for 10 minutes.
- 2
Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then strain the concentrate, discarding the flowers.
- 3
In a pitcher, combine the jamaica concentrate with the remaining 1 liter of water and the sugar; stir until fully dissolved.
- 4
Taste and adjust sweetness — jamaica should stay distinctly tart.
- 5
Pour over plenty of ice and serve cold.
💡 Tips from the Kitchen
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Organic jamaica from Michoacán or Oaxaca can be cold-steeped overnight instead of boiled, with even cleaner flavor.
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Save the spent jamaica flowers — they make excellent vegetarian taco filling with onion and chile.