The Best Tamarind Agua Fresca {Agua de Tamarindo}

When you take a sip of this sweet, tangy drink you will instantly fall in love. This tamarind agua fresca is refreshing, fruity, and complex, takes only four simple ingredients, and comes together easily with the help of a blender and fine mesh sieve.

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Aguas frescas are popular Mexican beverages made from a blend of fresh fruits, water, and sugar and we absolutely LOVE them! They are non-alcoholic, refreshing and thirst-quenching, perfect for a hot day or to complement a spicy meal.

In Mexico, street vendors sell a rainbow of flavors. Commonly fruits like prickly pear, lime and watermelon are the main ingredient used in agua fresca but the possibilities are endless. For example, agua de jamaica is one of the most popular agua frescas and it is made from hibiscus flowers and horchata is made from rice.

Today we are making one of my favorite agua frescas, agua de tamarindo or tamarind water. It is tart and earthy with just enough sweetness to balance the sour tamarind fruit. It is a popular drink throughout Mexico but also versions of this drink are enjoyed all over the world from Columbia to Indonesia.

What Is Tamarind?

This refreshing drink features tamarind which is this month’s challenge ingredient! Tamarind is a fruit that originated in tropical Africa where the brown pods grow from a tall tamarind tree. It has a unique flavor profile and is used all over the world in Indian cuisine, across Southeast Asia and throughout Latin America, prized for its sweet-sour nature.

It was first brought to Mexico by the Spanish and spread to the Americas and the Caribbean.

Drinks are the most popular ways tamarindo is used, but you will also find it in candy, sauces, spicy treats, and paletas de tamarindo (tamarind popsicles).

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Ingredients You’ll Need For Tamarind Agua Fresca

• Tamarind. Look for fresh tamarind pods at Mexican grocery stores and Asian markets by the spices or in the produce section. You can also buy them online.
• Sugar. I like the pure sweetness of granulated sugar but you can experiment with other sweeteners like honey or agave syrup.
• Water. You will need simmering water to soak the tamarind and cold water to make the drink.
• Lime. Fresh lime juice adds a hit of citrus vibrancy to the finished drink.

You may want a couple extra limes as well. Some people feel the tamarind is tart enough on its own but I like an extra squeeze of a little lime juice in my glass. Another option is to add fresh orange juice like we do in our tamarind orange agua fresca.

Other add-ins: You can flavor this drink any way you’d like. Soak a canela cinnamon stick (Ceylon cinnamon) along with the tamarind, or garnish each glass with a few mint leaves.

How To Make Tamarind Agua Fresca

Step one is peeling the tough outer shell off the tamarind pods. Crush the hard shells with clean hands and remove from the sticky edible pulp along with any tough veins.

The trick to processing tamarind pods is to soak them in warm water before starting. Soaking them in a large pot of warm water makes them extra soft and tender—just the texture you want for pureeing them into a smooth, drinkable consistency.

Plan ahead because you will need to soak the peeled tamarind pods for at least 2 hours or even overnight is best. Once the tamarind is super soft, use your fingers to remove the seeds and any tough stems from the cooked tamarind pods.

You need a blender to make this tamarindo drink recipe. I currently have a Vitamix that is super powerful and makes a silky smooth puree. Place the seedless pulp in the blender along with the sugar and water, then simply press the button to process and let the appliance do the hard work.

Once the pulp is blended and the sugar dissolved, pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to strain out any remaining fibers.

Then pour into a large pitcher and squeeze in the lime juice. Taste and add more lime juice or sugar if needed. Cover and refrigerate until cold or serve this delicious drink immediately over lots of ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Make It Bubbly (Or Boozy)!

You can turn this tamarindo agua fresca into a fizzy drink by adding mineral water (like Topo Chico) or club soda to each glass. Fill the glass halfway with the tamarind drink then top with sparkling water and stir.

Rim the glass with Tajín and add a shot of tequila or rum for an easy cocktail or follow my tamarind margarita recipe which uses the pods to make a from scratch tamarind simple syrup.

Can I Use Tamarind Paste?

Sure! You can make this delicious agua fresca with tamarind paste or tamarind pulp instead of the whole tamarind pods.

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of tamarind pulp or paste and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until soft.
2. Strain.
3. Place pulp in the blender. Add the 8 cups water and 1 cup sugar. It’s okay if it has seeds they won’t break apart in the blender or destroy your blender. They’ll just make a really loud noise.
4. Blend until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Strain again.
5. Pour into a pitcher, add the lime juice and chill.

Tamarind concentrate is already soft and has the seeds removed. You can use this as well and don’t need to cook it. Add 1 cup of the concentrate to a blender and proceed with step 3.

Use any leftover tamarind paste to make tamarind rum punch or fresh tomato micheladas.