Got Tepache?

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There are few things that can quench your thirst the way tepache does. I know. I grew up in a semi-arid place where temperatures could reach 100 degrees in early March. So, trust me, I know hot. A frosty glass of amber colored, tepache was one of my mother's favorite thirst quenchers. Soft drinks were not an option for us; she never bought them, and probably not because she found them unhealthy, but, rather, because we couldn't afford them.  So, I grew up addicted to a variety of aguas naturales and to this very particular summer cooler: tepache. The word tepache apparently comes from the nahuatl, tepiatl, which means fermented corn. Fermented pineapple rind is definitely the child-friendly version, over the corn one. And, naturally, no beer was added to ours, unlike the Mexican version, although I'm certain everyone makes it slightly different. Until she passed away in February … [Read more...]

Más Aguas Naturales

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Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus flower) is another favorite childhood drink. My earliest memory is drinking it at an elementary school fair with my friends.  More recently, I discovered Chia Fresca (at Casa Carmen in San Miguel de Allende), a thirst-quenching drink rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  Chia, from the nahuatl word chian (meaning oily), is an ancient seed and was a main staple in diets of the Aztecs and Mayans. … [Read more...]