Agua Fresca 21: Agua de Viernes de Dolores

Can I really have been blogging for more than three years?  In that time I have moved from the colonial town of Guanajuato in central Mexico to the huge metropolis of Mexico City.  It’s almost like moving from one country to another.  There are so many provincial customs that are muted here, particularly in old-established middle class areas like the one I live in.

One of them is the celebration of Viernes de Dolores, the Friday before Holy Week. Although officially this day is in memory of the many sorrows of the Virgin Mary, in Guanajuato it’s one of the biggest festivals of the year with the streets full of flower sellers.  The politicians take advantage of the throngs to breakfast in the town square and greet all their constituents. And householders create special altars outside their front doors, with images of the Virgin, pots of fresh sprouting wheat, cut paper, white cloth, aromatic flowers and herbs.

Here you can see fresh chamomile and gold-painted bread rolls (bolillos) and oranges.

One of the lovely customs is the preparation of a special drink, almost a liquid salad, for the day.  I thought I would re-post this old piece about it. People offer family, friends and passersby water ices (nieves) and this agua.  It’s often made in huge containers such as clean, five gallon paint cans or tamale steamers.  But here’s a small scale version for an ordinary water pitcher.

Begin by grinding up a raw beetroot with a little water in a blender.  Some people just chop it but that does not give such a vivid color.

Then chop into 1/4 inch cubes a cup of strawberries, half a small papaya, half a small cantelope, a couple of oranges, and a couple of bananas.

Then finely shred half an iceberg lettuce.   Half fill your pitcher with water and stir in half a cup of sugar until dissolved.  Strain  the beetroot water into the pitcher.  Then add the lettuce and the fruit and stir until mixed.

Of course as you can see, the fruits float to the top so give it a good stir before serving.  It should be neither very sweet nor very acid, the flavors coming from the ingredients.   You don’t need a spoon but there’s nothing to prevent you using one if you want to.

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