Agua fresca

People have been flavoring water with fruit and flowers in Mexico since ancient times. The Aztec people of Tenochtitlan gathered fruit and flowers as they traveled by canoe along the city's canals and prepared early versions of these drinks for hydration. Sugar, today the most common sweetener, was introduced after the Spanish conquest of the early 16th century, which also brought Old World ingredients that diversified the category: hibiscus (Jamaica), tamarind came to the Americas from Africa and Asia through colonial trade networks; and rice, cinnamon, and barley became the basis of horchata. These beverages are typically made by blending fresh ingredients with water and lightly sweetening them, resulting in refreshing drinks especially suited to hot climates. Outside Mexico, aguas frescas have grown significantly in the United States. Industry analysts at Technomic report that their popularity is growing faster than lemonade, driven by demand from both Latin American communities and younger consumers seeking lower- sugar alternatives to carbonated soft drinks, as well as interest in natural ingredients and traditional preparations. ==Terminology==

The terms aguas 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 bottled soft drinks. In Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panamá soft drinks are referred to as "frescos" (short for refresco), which in Mexico means soft drinks and in Nicaragua means aguas frescas. Soft drinks in Guatemala are called "aguas", short for aguas gaseosas, which could easily be confused with the Mexican aguas frescas or Nicaraguan soft drinks which are called gaseosas. ==Types==

It is common to find aguas frescas in these flavors: ==See also==