Agua de Lima - This beverage is on my must-have list every year that I go visit family in Mexico.   This and other flavors of aguas frescas (fresh waters) like agua de horchata (rice and cinnamon), agua de jamaica (hibiscus flower) and agua de fresa (strawberry) are commonly sold by street vendors throughout Mexico. 

This beverage is on my must-have list every year that I go visit family in Mexico.   This and other flavors of aguas frescas (fresh waters) like agua de horchata (rice and cinnamon), agua de jamaica (hibiscus flower) and agua de fresa (strawberry) are commonly sold by street vendors throughout Mexico.  Agua de lima is simply a blend of water, sugar, juice from limas, and ice.  It is a sweet, fresh, floral, citrusy, refreshing drink, unlike any citrus flavor we are familiar with in the U.S.

So why am I so enchanted by this lima juice? First of all, lima is not the sour lime we suck on after a tequila shot.  In fact, it’s not sour at all!  The English translation for Lima is Sweet Lime and forms part of the species Citrus Limetta.

I will attempt to describe the flavor of sweet lime with other more common foods: imagine a blend of the floral notes of Earl Gray Tea, a pinch of lemon and a touch of orange.  Why Earl Gray? Well, Earl Gray tea contains bergamot, a citrus fruit that is similar to sweet limes.  These contain higher amounts of linalyl acetate and linalool as compared to lemons, limes and oranges we find in the U.S.  These two compounds are floral in flavor, more so like the floral notes in a blueberry than the intense notes found a rose.  These compounds in conjunction with terpenes like d-Limonene and β-pinene contribute to the unique taste of Sweet limes. Remember that this is very low in citric acid, unlike limes and lemons.  So don’t expect to pucker when you try this. 

I hope I have piqued your interest enough to put this beverage on your must-try list when you visit our neighbor to the south.