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Made with only 3 ingredients, Agua de Jamaica is a sweet and tart refreshing drink made from hibiscus flowers that’s very popular in Mexico. It’s one of the most popular kinds of agua frescas and is ready in only 15 minutes!
Sweet, tart and refreshing, Agua de Jamaica is one of the most popular types of agua frescas in Mexico. Made from dried hibiscus flowers, water and sugar, it can be sweetened to your personal liking and is a flavorful alternative to soda
What Is Agua de Jamaica?
Agua de Jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-cah) is a hibiscus iced tea drink made from dried hibiscus flowers (or “Flor de Jamaica” in Spanish), water and sugar. The hibiscus tea is very tart and almost has a cranberry-like flavor, which is why it’s typically sweetened with sugar.
Sometimes it’s made with additional spices like cinnamon and ginger, but today we’re making the tried and true typical Mexican version you’ll find in restaurants and markets.
Where to Find Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Hibiscus flowers are fairly common in most Mexican grocery stores and can be found near the spices or dried chiles.
If you can’t find any near you, you can order them online on Amazon.
More Aguas Frescas
There are many flavors of aguas frescas made from different ingredients, including fruits, teas, and even rice! Here are some different aguas frescas to enjoy:
- Cucumber – Agua de Pepino
- Tamarind – Agua de Tamarindo
- Pineapple – Agua de Piña
- Rice and Almond – Horchata
- Watermelon – Agua de Sandia
- Fresa – Agua de Fresa
- Cantaloupe – Agua de Melon
How to Make Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
Add 4 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of dried hibiscus flowers to a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and let sit for another 5 minutes.
Carefully strain the mixture into a glass container and discard the hydrated hibiscus flowers.
At this point, you can store the hibiscus tea concentrate in the fridge until you’re ready to use it (see recipe card below for more info).
To make this tea into a full pitcher of a deliciously tart and sweet jamaica drink, pour the concentrate into a pitcher and add 4 cups of water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir to combine, taste and adjust the sweetness and/or potency by adding more sugar or water if desired.
Traditionally, Agua de Jamaica is very sweet and fairly strong, but I know everyone has different preferences which is why I recommend starting with 1/4 cup sugar, 4 cups of water and then adding in more if you want it a little sweeter and/or more diluted.
And don’t forget that you’re going to serve the tea with ice, which may dilute it even more as the ice melts.
Storage
Agua de Jamaica can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups water, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ cups dried hibiscus flowers
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In a small pot, add 4 cups of water and the dried hibiscus flowers. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, uncover, and let it cool down for 5 more minutes.
- Pour the tea through a strainer or colander into a large pitcher that holds at least 8-10 cups. Discard the used hibiscus flowers.
- Add the granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the remaining 4 cups water and stir to combine.
- At this point, taste the tea and add more sugar and/or dilute it with more water until it's to your liking. Some people like it super sweet, some like it super strong, it's up to you!
- Serve in a glass filled with ice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this a few times and each time, it’s been so delicious. I had to double the recipe after the first try because we finished it so quickly! Definitely recommend this recipe.
How long does the tea or concentrate last in the refrigerator?
The tea and concentrate will last up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Hello Isabel,
Just wanted you to know that, this is where I go for all my Mexican dishes now. All that I have tried have been great. Ingredient proportions are always correct. Always successful with your recipes. Thank you so much and much luck in your future
Thanks again
Don
Catchykitchencave.com
I bought a huge bag of hibiscus from the Mexican Market and brought it back to my town where I teach. I am the high school foods teacher and we made hibiscus aqua frescas again and again in my classes my 11/12 classes. It got to the point I would just have it in the huge bin in the fridge for kids to drink. They loved it, and it was new to many of them. So awesome!
My niece ordered a 5lb bag of hibiscus flowers by accident. Thankfully, I found your site and have been making double batches of the concentrate without the sugar, ever since!. I can’t have sugar, but my niece likes sweet, so sugar separately.I absolutely LOVE this drink. I mix my concentrate with equal amounts of lime seltzer. Can’t wait to try your other recipes
Isabel,
I made this recipe, however I did add some cinnamon stick whole cloves, allspice and ginger (it’s the Jamaican🇯🇲 in me 🌝). It is quite refreshing,I enjoyed it very much, reminds me of another drink-sorrell. Thanks for sharing.
I really appreciate this recipe. I’ve made it twice, but will continue using it. This time I used panela to sweeten it, and it works. Yum!
Panela is a soft cheese.
This recipe is perfect exactly as described. I’m keeping a pitcher in my fridge!