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Aguas frescas[1][2] (English:cool waters,lit. 'fresh waters') orfrescos oraguas, are lightnon-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in manyLatin American countries, as well as parts of the United States such as theSouthwest and heavy-Latino population cities, such asLos Angeles. Some of the more common varieties includetamarindo,jamaica, andhorchata.
Aguas frescas are sold bystreet vendors and are commonly found inconvenience stores,restaurants andjuice bars.[3]
The termsaguas frescas is most common in Mexico, however, they are called"fresco" in Nicaragua and Honduras. Frescos refers to non-carbonated drinks, usually referring to traditional drinks, or those made from fruits. Some of them include fresco de Cacao, melon con naranja, chicha, pinolillo, and others.
Aguas frescas could lead to confusion in some Spanish speaking countries, as they may refer to bottledsoft drinks. In Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panamá soft drinks are referred to as "frescos" (short forrefresco), which in Mexico means soft drinks and in Nicaragua means aguas frescas. Soft drinks in Guatemala are called "aguas", short foraguas gaseosas, which could easily be confused with the Mexicanaguas frescas or Nicaraguan soft drinks which are calledgaseosas.
It is common to findaguas frescas in these flavors:
| Type | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Sweet fruits |
|
| Sour fruits | |
| Seeds |
|
| Cereals | |
| Flowers |
|
aguas frescas national geographic.