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Mexican

Agua de melón

Vegetarian

Ripe cantaloupe blended with cold water, a little sugar and lime — one of the classic aguas frescas ladled from big glass jars at Mexican markets.

Agua de melón is a Mexican cold drink from Mexico, ready in about 10 minutes and made with melon, sugar and lime juice. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Total
10 min
Serves
6
Level
Beginner
Calories
73

Ingredients

6 glasses

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Scrub the melon (opens in a new tab) skin before cutting, then peel, seed and cube the flesh.

  2. Step 2

    Pour 500 ml of the water into the blender (opens in a new tab), add the melon (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab), and blend until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Strain into a large jug if you want it smooth (many people leave the pulp in), then stir in the rest of the water and the lime juice (opens in a new tab). Taste for sugar (opens in a new tab) and serve over ice.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Mexico · Well documentedAguas frescas of fruit, flowers and seeds are a long-standing Mexican tradition.Also popular in United States, GuatemalaMore food from Mexico
Dish
Lunch · Snack · Cold drinks
Cooking method
Blended, No-cook
Taste
fruity, refreshing, sweet
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Child-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Sugar · Lime juice
Techniques
Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

73 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 344 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 93%
  • Fat 2%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy73 kcal21 kcal
Protein1 g0.3 g
Carbohydrate18.1 g5.2 g
Net carbohydrate17 g4.9 g
Sugars17.5 g5.1 g
Added sugars8.3 g2.4 g
Fibre1.1 g0.3 g
Fat0.2 g0.1 g
Saturated fat0.1 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium23 mg7 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
315 mg
Calcium
33 mg
Iron
0.3 mg
Magnesium
19 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
197 µg
Vitamin C
44 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
25 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Ice: Frozen water; same composition as water.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Some cooks blend in the seeds and their juicy pulp for extra melon flavour, then strain.

Common mistakes

  • Using an under-ripe melon — the drink tastes of cucumber; the melon should smell sweet at the stem end.

Food safety

  • Keep cut melon and the agua fresca refrigerated; discard after a day.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 day covered in the fridge; stir before serving.

Variations

  • Agua de sandía: The same method with watermelon, which needs little or no water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Melon, cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed700 g
Used in steps 1, 2

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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