Agua de tamarindo: what it is and how to make it

What is it?

Agua de tamarindo is a refreshing Mexican drink of amber-brown colour with a very marked sweet-and-sour profile, prepared from the sticky pulp of the pods of the tamarind (Tamarindus indica). It has a pronounced fruity acidity balanced with sugar, which makes it especially refreshing in warm climates. Together with jamaica and horchata, it forms part of the everyday repertoire of Mexican aguas frescas, present in fondas, markets, restaurants and homes. Although the tamarind tree is native to East Africa, its cultivation acclimatised perfectly to the Mexican tropics and today states such as Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas concentrate national production. Tamarind is a versatile ingredient also used in sweets, salsas, moles and preserves.

Origin and history

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is native to East Africa, where it has been cultivated for millennia. It reached India at least four thousand years ago (hence its Arabic name 'tamr al-hind', date of India) and Mexico via the galleons of the Manila trade route between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The tropical coasts of Colima, Guerrero and Jalisco quickly adopted its cultivation. Larousse Cocina notes that tamarind was incorporated into the Mexican repertoire for its ability to provide acidity in a cuisine that did not have as many citrus fruits as the European or Asian ones. Agua de tamarindo became established as an everyday drink during the nineteenth century, when the cane sugar industry made it possible to sweeten it on a large scale. Today Mexico is one of the world's leading consumers of tamarind, not only in drinks but also in confectionery: lollipops, chamoyadas, salsas such as Pulparindo and chilli-coated sweets that have become symbols of the country's popular gastronomy.

Characteristic ingredients

Tamarind pulp is the essential ingredient, available in three commercial formats: whole fresh or dried pods (more laborious but with better flavour), seedless pulp in blocks and processed pulp in ready-to-use paste. To prepare the agua, the pods are peeled, deseeded and soaked in warm water for between thirty minutes and two hours to release the sticky pulp. They are then strained by pressing with a spoon until all the thick liquid is extracted. It is diluted with additional water and sweetened with sugar or piloncillo. The usual proportion is two hundred grams of pulp per two litres of water. Regional variants: the coastal version adds chilli powder on the rim of the glass (chamoyada); the fair version incorporates chamoy or gummies; the fonda version is served plain with plenty of ice. Some families add orange zest, mint leaves or fresh ginger for aromatic variants. The ideal flavour is clearly sweet-and-sour without either predominating over the other.

Cultural significance

Tamarind and its agua are pillars of Mexican popular gastronomy, especially in the tropical areas of the country. It accompanies everyday meals in fondas and markets, but also stars at regional fairs and gastronomic festivals. In Colima, Mexico's main tamarind producer according to SADER data, fairs dedicated to the fruit are held where the agua is a central drink. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010, includes the aguas frescas as an essential expression of its everyday heritage. The tamarind industry in Mexico sustains thousands of families in the Mexican Pacific, with annual production exceeding fifty thousand tonnes. Beyond the drink, tamarind is the basis of the Mexican chilli-coated confectionery industry, a sector that moves hundreds of millions of pesos a year and that has taken the flavour of Mexico to international markets, especially in the United States where it is one of the most recognised Latin flavours.

Frequently asked questions