Prepping fruit waters -- as easy as it gets

Dear Lynne: Do you know how to make those fruit waters that you can get in some Hispanic restaurants? They make mango and watermelon and a pretty red one. They seem pretty simple, but I expect they are harder than I think.

Michael

Dear Michael: Those fruit waters are called aguas frescas (literally translated as "fresh waters") and they are utterly delicious. In Mexico City last year, I was intrigued by their immense variety and the way they melded with the food -- far more easily than most wines would.

Aguas frescas can be made with anything from fruit to herbs or even cucumber. (Most likely the red one you tasted was made from dried hibiscus flowers, called Jamaica in Mexico.) They show up all across Latin America, and some scholars speculate that they are Islamic in origin, brought to the Americas by Lebanese settlers.

The recipe could not be simpler: Blend fruit, sugar and water. When making an agua fresca, be sure to use very ripe fruit. In fact, this is a great way to use fruit that might be going over the hill. The finished drink will keep a couple of days in the fridge, but the texture will change as it ages. Depending on the fruit, you might need to dilute the drink as the days go on.

Truthfully, when these drinks are freshly made, they practically vibrate out of the glass. If you can, blend and drink them right away. I don't know if there's anything better with summer food, Mexican or not.

If Kentuckians think "fruit water" sounds familiar, that's probably because it's almost a double for watermelon water.

This recipe is based on one given to us by historian Rachel Lauden, who lives just outside Mexico City.