Aguas Frescas

Aguas frescas are exactly what the name says - fresh waters - fruit, flowers, seeds or grains blended or steeped with water and sugar, and they sit at the front of every market fonda in glass vitroleros so the colours do the advertising. The classic trio anchors the row: jamaica, a deep magenta infusion of dried hibiscus flowers, tart and cold; horchata, milky white, made from rice steeped with cinnamon and sometimes almond or melon seed, sweet and spiced; and tamarindo, brown, sour and faintly caramel. Around them rotate whatever is in season - watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, guava, cucumber-lime, mango, alfalfa's startling green, chia-and-lemon, and the fermented pineapple-rind tepache in some markets. They are ladled over ice into tall glasses or bagged with a straw for the road, and in a country where meals run to chile and grease, the cold sweet water is structural rather than decorative. Every region tilts the list differently; in Oaxaca the horchata comes topped with walnut and cactus fruit, which converts sceptics immediately.

What you actually see

• The vitroleros - glass barrels of magenta, white and brown.
• The classic three - jamaica, horchata and tamarindo.
• The seasonal rotation - melon, guava, cucumber and more.
• The market fondas - waters poured with every comida corrida.

When to go

Year-round, and urgently in the heat; markets pour from morning. Oaxaca's horchata with walnut and tuna is worth a detour on its own.

Honest expectations

These are made with water and ice - in most towns and cities that is purified, but ask if you are cautious. Sugar levels are high by default; some stands will pour lighter on request.

Nearby

Every market, taqueria and fonda in Mexico; the great regional variants live in Oaxaca, Michoacan and the south.