Agua de jamaica (Hibiscus-ade)

There are few sights that make me more nostalgic for my home country than a stand of Mexican "fresh" drinks (aguas frescas): huge glass jars with filled with sweet and refreshing "waters" of real fruit and other exotic flavors (like rice). I simply can't go by a stand without ordering a glass. One of my all-time favorites is hibiscus. When Mexican soft drinks started making an appearence in Toronto restaurants, I always ordered hibiscus flavor. Unfortunately, "jamaica" sodas are now hard to find; however, hibiscus-ade is really easy to make. The following recipe is modified from Diana Kennedy's The Cuisines of Mexico.

Ingredients

2 cups dried hibiscus flowers

12 cups cold water

1 cup sugar

Take the dried flowers and add 4½ cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 3-4 minutes over a brisk flame.

Take the hibiscus water off the flame and add the rest of the water and the sugar, and stir well. Let it sit for several hours, overnight is best. Strain the liquid, correcting the sugar, and serve chilled.

Notes

You can buy dried hibiscus flowers in most Latin American stores and La Tortillería.

Don't throw the used flowers away; you can use them to make hibiscus tacos.