Agua de jamaica is very easy to make. It just takes some hibiscus flowers, some water, sugar, and a little bit of patience to make this Mexican hibiscus drink.
Jamaica (pronounced ha-my-kah) is Spanish for hibiscus. This agua de jamaica is the most popular way to enjoy hibiscus in Mexican culture. It’s sweet and tangy and so refreshing!
Like all the aguas frescas out there, this recipe requires some sugar for the full experience. But the great thing about making it yourself is you can customize the amount of sugar you use. (Does anyone else remember family members watering down their aguas to make them less sweet?)
My recipe here is medium-sweet. Feel free to decrease or increase the sugar to suit your taste preference or nutrition needs. I don’t recommend completely removing the sugar because that’s just a different drink at that point (hibiscus iced tea, which is also delicious).
Where to buy hibiscus?
The best place to buy dried hibiscus is at a Latino or Caribbean grocery store. You may also see it called “sorrel” depending on where you buy it. I recommend buying the whole dried flowers if you can find them.
Agua de Jamaica Recipe
Agua de Jamaica
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried hibiscus
- 6 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup sugar
Instructions
Recipe Steps
- Place dried hibiscus in a saucepan with 3 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil.3/4 cup dried hibiscus, 6 1/2 cups water
- Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dissolve 1/3 cup sugar in 1/3 cup water in a saucepan. Do not boil.1/3 cup sugar
- Strain hibiscus mixture into a pitcher. Discard petals.
- Add 3 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup of sugar mixture to pitcher (you will have leftover sugar mixture).
- Mix until combined.
- Refrigerate and serve over ice
Nutrition
I’m a dietitian, so you know I have to say a little bit about the nutrition!
Some people may be surprised to hear a dietitian is recommending you don’t remove the sugar from this recipe.
That’s because I’m a firm believer in all foods fit. This means while there are some foods that provide more nutrients than others, there is no one food that will single-handedly make or break your health. And you can make room for anything in your diet.
So how much sugar does this agua de jamaica have and is it too much?
The way this recipe is written, one serving of this agua fresca has 19 g of carbs. A good range of carbs for one meal is 30-40 g. So to make this drink fit into an overall healthy meal, I would serve it with a high protein meal. You have room for a few extra carbs, too, but a smaller serving than normal.
Here are a few examples of balanced meals with agua de jamaica:
- Sopa de albondigas with veggies, 1 tostada, 1 glass of agua de jamaica
- 1 chicken tinga tostada, side of avocado salad, 1 glass of agua de jamaica
Need more healthy Mexican meal ideas?
That’s what I’m here for!
I’m a Latina dietitian and I’ve made it my mission to show you that you can easily build nourishing, healthy meals without giving up your food culture.
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