JUGO

J is for jugo or juice.

Borrowed from a fellow blogger in Nicaragua:  http://lspigel.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/fresco-in-a-bag/

You know how in the U.S., you go grocery shopping and pick up a gallon of your favorite juice....cranberry, grape, apple, or any mix?  Welllllll, that doesn't exist here.  The only thing ready to go juice-wise in the supermarket are nectars or really thick syrupy juices with pulp usually.  I HATE them.  When you want natural juice here, you make a fresco.  

Fresco is basically a fruit, vegetable, or grain either squeezed or blended then put through a sieve that you dilute with water and add sugar to your taste.  Fresco literally means fresh and basically that's what they're used for here--to freshen up in the heat.  You can make them yourself or just about every neighborhood has a home where they're sold.  They cost anywhere from 5-10 cordoba (20-40 cents) and are always served in a plastic bag with ice and a straw hanging out.  What are some options?

• passion fruit
• tamarind
• coconut
• cantaloupe
• dragonfruit
• starfruit
• pineapple
• cacao (natural cocoa pods ground and mixed with milk)
• soursop
• barley
• chia
• flax seed

Really I could go on all day.  I like basically all of them except for barley and anything that starts with chicha like chicha de piña or chicha de maíz ....that would refer to either fermented pineapple or fermented corn, and I'm just not down with that.

Do you want to know how to make them?  Watch my tutorial here!