Muy Bueno: Fiestas 
Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea) + Video
Agua de Jamaica is one of Mexico’s most popular agua frescas. It is a great diuretic that is full of Vitamin C and can even lower blood pressure. This refreshing Hibiscus Tea is sweet, tart, and delicious!
What Is Agua de Jamaica?
Jamaica is pronounced (Ha-mike-ah) — not Jamaica, the Caribbean Island. In Mexico, they serve agua de jamaica just like we serve and drink iced tea in America. In addition, its gorgeous ruby red color is absolutely enticing!
Once you add some ice cubes, this refreshing tea will taunt you to no end.
Light Hibiscus Tea
This light and thirst quenching drink is a great alternative to heavier drinks. My kids love this drink; it’s like kool-aid for them.
You will love this agua fresca, too!
Nevertheless, traditional Agua de Jamaica is fairly sweet, but you can control the sweetness by adding a bit less sugar as you add water. Bare in mind that adding ice to the tea in the end will take away some sweetness, too.
Where to Find Dried Hibiscus Flowers
To make this Agua de Jamaica you need flor de jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers), which can be found in a Latin super market or online.
In fact, it is very rare to find them at a general grocery store, so if you do, you’ll be very lucky!
Benefits of Hibiscus Tea
This tea is incredibly healthy. It is a great diuretic, it is full of Vitamin C and can even lower blood pressure.
For an extra bit of flavor and health benefits, you can also infuse this agua de jamaica with canela (cinnamon), similar to this Hibiscus-Cinnamon Tea. It is fragrant and so flavorful. Enjoy!
Watch my video to learn how to make Agua de Jamaica.
Love Agua Frescas? Try these:
- Horchata
- Agua Fresca de Pepino – Cucumber Lime Cooler
- Pineapple Cooler – Agua de Piña
- Agua de Sandia
- Spiked Aguas Frescas
Have you made this agua de jamaica? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment below to let me know how it turned out! To get more Muy Bueno recipes delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email newsletter.
Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, more if desired
- 6 cups water
- Ice
- Mint leaves, optional
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the dried hibiscus flowers in a large colander.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add the flowers and cover tightly with a lid. Remove from the heat and steep for 1 hour or until cool.
- Strain hibiscus water into a pitcher and discard flowers. Add sugar and stir. Refrigerate until time to serve.
- Taste tea, and add more sugar or dilute with water to your liking.
- Ladle into a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh mint leaves or lime slices (optional).
Video
Notes
- Serve Agua de Jamaica in a vitrolero (glass barrel jar) or beverage dispenser filled will ice or feel free to store and serve in a pitcher.
- You can freeze some of the mixture in popsicle molds to make Hibiscus Paletas!
- This Agua de Jamaica can also be brewed with canela (cinnamon) to make Hibiscus-Cinnamon Tea.
- Make Jamaica Margaritas with tequila, lime juice, and a drizzle of agave.
- Garnish with mint leaves, lime slices, or a cinnamon stick.
Photography by Jenna Sparks.
Originally published: March 2011. This recipe is also published in the Muy Bueno cookbook.
27 Comments on “Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea) + Video”
This is the only recipe I use.
My 90 year old dad loves it. I always take him some when I go visit him.
His favorite
This recipe is the best. I have been making a batch every week. Got compliments from friends who have tried it as well. Thank you for sharing.
Just made a two big batchs of this. Enjoying it on hot days. Froze one batch for next week.
Do you add the cinnamon the same time you add the Jamaica & boil together or stir it with the cinnamon stick??
I need this agua so much right now! Such a refreshing drink to keep handy in summer. 🙂
Would love to send you a sample of our delicious blend of Hibiscus Sorrel Passion tea for your review. Thank you.
Okay, my mistake. According to the internet, they are of the same family and genus. But they are two very different looking flowers, and sorrel is usually NOT called by the name hibiscus. But as I stated before this drink is made with sorrel.
These are actually NOT hibiscus flowers. These are what Jamaicans call sorrel and Mexicans call jamaica. Hibiscus flowers and sorrel are two TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLANTS. If you use dried hibiscus flower to make a jamaica it is not the same as the Mexican jamaica drink. Hibiscus and sorrel are not even in the same family of flowers.
we used to drink in Northern Mexico all the time since is hot 10 moths of the year; but We never boiled it. We just let is soak overnight. I wonder wich way is better.
Cecy: GREAT idea! I’ll be sure to try that next time. Do you leave indoors or outdoors?
I made pitcher of agua de jamaica …. it is fabulous on hot spring day like today. This is my go to beverage in the summer.
I drank this a lot in Guatemala and it is like drinking pure sunshine. I grow hibiscus plants at home now and use the flowers for this tea. It’s also really nice to add fresh fruit like strawberries , blueberries, and raspberries to the iced tea. A perfect summer drink!
I bet that is super refreshing–I will definitely try that! Thank you Larissa!
Sara, it was so great to meet you! Hope to see you soon! Sooo love your cute logo!
How can I order something from here like the face masks and other little stuff.
Refreshing and easy to make. Will definitely want some jamaica on the first hot day (hopefully soon).
Agua de Jamaica brings back so many great memories of vacationing in Mexico. You know those hot summer days, walking to la plaza and cooling off with a big glass of agua de jamaica. Looks gorgeous!
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction to look for the tea. xo
Almost every restaurant in Mexico serves iced cold jamaica. It is so refreshing on a hot day. It is also usually too sweet for our taste, so we order one glass and one water, and pour them back and forth until they are both equally diluted. Ahhh…. I could drink one right now.
Kathleen
I so agree Kathleen! I always order mine with extra ice, so that it waters the tea down. Now I’m craving a warm summer day. We had 80 degrees on Saturday and then it snowed all day yesterday. Crazy Colorado weather!
I love this… I first had Agua de Jamaica last summer in L.A. Had never heard about it before then, so delicious and refreshing! How would you describe the taste? I’d say, it reminds me of a less intense, less sweetened fruit punch. Thanks so much for the recipe and the link to purchase online.
YES, very much a fruit punch! Soooo naturally refreshing~ AND it tastes great naturally without sugar too!
For those of you who have limited options in your communities you can always mail order it here: http://store.gourmetsleuth.com/jamaica-dried-1lb-P253.aspx
I will have to make this very soon. I’ll have to find where I can get the dry flowers
I buy mine from Amazon from Frontier co- op. There is a quality difference in the products I have found in ethnic markets.
This sound so refreshing. It looks like the passion ice tea at Starbucks. Where would I begin to look for dry jamaica/hibiscus flowers? xo
You can usually find dried hibiscus flowers near the loose teas in natural food stores. Or try a Latino food market. They are so worth the scavenger hunt — Good luck!