Comments on: Agua Fresca 6: Pungent, Spicy Limonadas

By: Rachel Laudan

Rachel Laudan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:41:50 +0000

Alex, We simply don’t know. Very little is known of pre-hispanic cuisine for all the reams that have been written on it.

I’ll post soon on where I think the agua fresca/agua de sabor tradition comes from.

Obviously flavoring water in some way must have been frequently done around the world. If I had to bet on anything being pre-hispanic it would be the tepache family that’s been mentioned once or twice and that I will come back to later.

Rachel

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:04:14 +0000

Rachel,

So the tradition of Agua Fresca making was carried to Mexico by the Spaniards? Is there any evidence of Pre-Columbian drinks similar in Meso-america?

By: Bob Mrotek

Bob Mrotek — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:55:43 +0000

Rachel,
The barley in the tepache is to help it ferment. The fermented fruit by itself doesn’t give it enough kick :)

By: Rachel Laudan

Rachel Laudan — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:01:38 +0000

Thanks to both of you. Rajagopal, I’m going to bump your description up in to the post so that it’s all nicely grouped together.

Bob, thank you, not only is the whole family of barley drinks high on my list but so is cebadina. I’ve been looking for it everywhere and not been able to find it. I do know something about it though so I’ll write it up and perhaps if you come across it somewhere you could take a photo? Hmm, interesting that you know people who use barley for tepache (also on the upcoming list). I have only made it or seen it made with fruit.

By: Bob Mrotek

Bob Mrotek — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:16:09 +0000

Rachel,
These days most people either don’t know or don’t remember that before Coca-Cola people made refreshing drinks from barley water. Oddly enough drinking barley water is indigenous to both England and Mexico where people have been drinking it to cool off for thousands of years. In Mexico it is called “agua de cebada” and forms the base for a number of beverages. In England (where I have never been) it is my understanding that it is usually taken with lemon. Here in Guanajuato people use it to make “tepache” which is a pineapple drink and also “cebadina” which is a very curious pink drink made fizzy by adding bicarbonate of soda.

By: rajagopal sukumar

rajagopal sukumar — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:50:20 +0000

Rachel,
Interesting post. You covered Nimbu paani from India. We also have something called Shikanji - which is a lemon juice + sugar + water + ice + Kala Namak (Black Salt). This black salt (i don’t how exactly it is produced), has a classic smell and flavor that significantly enhances the taste of the lemon juice. This same black salt is also used to enhance Sugarcane Juice which is another popular summer drink in India.