If you're thirsty, of What the Mexicans drink

Despite the great love of the Mexicans to the carbonated soft drinks (Mexico, for example, is on the first place in the world for consumption of Coca-Cola), they have managed to preserve the drinks in its menu which recipes were invented more than a century ago.

Of course, coffee is still the most popular soft drink among Mexicans. It cannot be otherwise in the country, where the coffee grows in 12 states and which situated on the fifth place among the exporters of this crop. In modern conditions, probably, there is coffee machine in every home in Mexico, not to mention that there are a lot of coffee shops where you can buy a ready-made drink. However, the most delicious remains the home made coffee, which here is called “café de olla” or “coffee from the pot”.

This drink is prepared in a special clay pot on the basis of water and coarsely ground coffee beans, with cinnamon and piloncillo – sweet of hardened syrup from sugar cane until its purification which is necessary for the production of brown sugar. In Mexico piloncillo is widely used in cookery. The “coffee from the pot”, because of the conditions of the process of preparation, is more popular in the villages and small towns, but the residents of the capital also like it when having rest. The “café de olla” is served in a small clay mugs that retains the temperature for a long time.

Atole is a beverage that people drink and eat at the same time. Its history goes back to the pre-Hispanic times; it is prepared not only in Mexico but also in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. Atole is prepared with water or milk, with addition of corn flour, or even dough. The taste of this drink can be quite varied because of adding cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, anise, chocolate, juice or pulp of sweet fruits. It is sweeten by piloncillo, sugar or honey. Atole is grate for a light breakfast, and it is always offered in the local restaurants in the morning.

Another Mexican hot drink is prepared only for a few weeks of the year: in the period before Christmas and during this holiday. It is fruity ponche prepared on the basis of several types of fruits: apple, guayaba, orange, tejocote (local fruit, which is also called Indian apple), tamarind and prune; sometimes the flower of Roselle, which may be known as carcade, are also added. Cinnamon and piloncillo is required to add to ponche. It is cooked in huge pots and served in the traditional pre-Christmas meetings – Posadas. 

What do the Mexicans drink to refresh yourself? The most common variants of such drink are fruit waters (the plain water with the pulp of your favorite fruits and sweeten to your taste) or a drink called jamaica. It is also the name for the flowers from which this drink is prepared. Sour jamaica is good for thirst quenching.

There are even more interesting traditional refreshing drinks in Mexico. One of them is horchata. This drink is prepared with water or milk, adding of rice flour, white sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Sometime milk is also added, or horchata is prepared directly on milk. The ground almonds or hazelnuts, coconut, sesame and other seeds are used to make the drink’s taste richer. In Mexican supermarkets you can also buy the concentrate for fast preparation of horchata.

Another kind of fresh soft drink is tejuino. It is prepared in Jalisco, state of Mexico, which is famous as the homeland of tequila. However, this drink can be found in San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Puebla and Coahuila, only the recipe will be slightly different. Tejuino was popular among the locals back in pre-Hispanic times, some scientists argue that its age is about 7 thousand years. Classis tehuino reminds atole in its consistency; it is also prepared on the basis of corn flour and pilancillo but served cold and with a little bit of salt, lime juice and sometimes even lemon ice-cream. That is why the taste of this drink is sour and sweet, and can be a little bit drunken if the mix is left for 2-3 days for fermentation.

Also, if you like fermented drinks you should definitely try tepache in Mexico, one of the most popular beverages among Mexicans. It is prepared on the basis of pineapple peel: to the 5 liters of water add one peel of large pineapple, the water is sweeten with the same piloncillo. After combining all ingredients in a large reservoir, it is closed and left for 4 days for fermentation.

Tepache usually has a very low percentage of alcohol that is why even children can drink it. Some families prepare his drink on the basis of guayaba, apples, oranges or tuna – the fruit of cactus, which is represented on the coat of arms of Mexico and is actively used in the food here.

Mexico is famous worldwide for its cuisine. We offer you not only to taste tacos, tameles, quesadillas and mole but also Mexicans drinks – they will be a bright touch in the picture of your memory about this sunny country.