Bottoms Up !

cc photo of Flor de Jamaica courtesy of Omarsan on Flickr

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! I actually took a vacation in Cali by the ocean while my partner in crime was back here in Aztlan fighting the good fight! Well, still no update on that appropriation money for the Santa Rita Center. Never fear True Mexican will not give up on getting answers. We are just getting warmed up.

While on the beach and drinking lots of fermented blue agave, I started thinking about all the amazing plants we use in our culture and decided to do a little “Marta Sanchez” moment. We having been dealing with such intensity and before we start drilling candidates about why “Latinos” should vote for them I thought a bit of whimsy and a recipe might help.



I love to drink Flor de Jamaica in Aguas Frescas. Jamaica is actually a type of hibiscus flower. Before you go out and start drying the flowers from your hibiscus bush to make this delicious beverage please note that there are about 300 types of hibiscus. The only one you can use to make this beverage is called “Hibiscus Sabdariffa”. You will find this all packaged and waiting for you at Ranch Market or Food City. Sometimes you can find it in Safeway or Fry’s where they have the packaged Mexican Herbs. When you make this for yourself it is nothing like the sugary juice you order at Rolibertos with your Carne Asada burrito.

Flor de Jamaica is loaded with Vitamin C. In the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007, Clinical studies showed that it could reduce high blood pressure in patients that had Type 2 Diabetes. Please no one stop taking his or her medication and start slugging down Jamaica instead. My grandmother believed it helped to keep you cool in the summer and like cranberry juice keep your bladder nice and healthy and infection free. True Mexican is not supporting any of these claims but giving you a little interesting information and God knows we all need to stay cool. Here is the recipe.


Agua Fresca Flor de Jamaica

2 cups dried Jamaica Flowers
¾ cup sugar or agave syrup (you will have to do this to
taste, you might like it sweeter)
8 cups water
Ice

Boil dried flowers, sugar and 4 cups of water for 2
Minutes. Use a stainless steel pan. No iron or
Aluminum. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain.
Add additional 4 cups of water and lots of ice. Enjoy!

I am always looking for a good excuse to drink tequila or vodka and Jamaica is a good vehicle for booze too! Enjoy and Salud!