I have joined together with a fabulous group of multicultural bloggers to bring you 19 drinks from around the world! Travel the globe from your kitchen as you try these new textures and flavors with your kids while you quench your thirst. Click on the titles for the recipes and map your drinks from around the world, discovering a bit of the cultures who enjoy them!
Homemade Tamarind Pop (Bolivia, Costa Rica)
It is hard to imagine a more refreshing treat than juice from the tamarind fruit, and tamarindo pops always tasted so good they almost made the heat worth it, just so we could eat more. It is similar to lemonade, in that it is a sweet drink made from a tart fruit that really hits the spot when the weather turns warm.
Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Drink (US)
I thought this was fun! The trick is to pour the drinks slowly over the ice so they don’t mix. Also layer in order of the drink with the most sugar. The most sugar goes at the bottom, next layer less sugar, top layer least sugar. I used Cranberry juice, Blue Gatorade, and diet Ginger Ale.
Hot, Mint Tea (Morocco)
People drink tea at all times of day. It accompanies breakfast, it’s a snack, it’s served when guests come, it’s for after lunch and after dinner. Every occasion is a time for tea.
Happy Lemon’s Cocoa with Rock Salt & Cheese Drink (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines)
Happy Lemon is a fast food like drink spot that originated in Hong Kong, and is now found throughout China, and different parts of Asia. It’s very popular, with people lining up for their drinks, and in particular, the cocoa drink with its famous salty cheese topping.
Aguas Frescas (Mexico, Central America, the Philippines)
Spanish for “fresh water,” an agua fresca drink is simply the combination of pureed fruit, water, some sugar, and a little lime. And in the Mexican heat, soooo refreshing!
Avocado Smoothie (Morocco)
In patisseries (cookie shops) all over Morocco there are plates stacked high with small cookies of dozens of shapes. There is also a menu offering smoothies, tea and coffee…
During Ramadan there are avocados a million in the streets, waiting to be blended into post-fasting drinks.
Ethiopian Layered Juice “Spris”
Spris are layered drinks, of pureed fruit: avocado, mango and papaya are the most common. These drinks are easy to make, super healthy and packed with antioxidants, and bring a little piece of Ethiopia to your own backyard.
Agua de Canela (Bolivia)
Cinnamon is one of the healthiest spices there is.
One favorite drink at home is Cinnamon Tea or “Agua de Canela,” the way we call it in Bolivia. It is really easy to make, and your kids will love the mild “spice” of the cinnamon.
Kiesel (Poland)
Kisiel (or kissel, you can read more about it here) is a drink made with fruit, sugar and potato starch or maizena. The texture is somewhere between juice and jello, you can drink it, but you have to slurp it. I liked it as a child and found that it is extremely easy to make kisiel at home.
Kid-friendly Piña Colada (Puerto Rico)
The piña colada […is] just as delicious. It’s like having a slushy explosion in your mouth from the sweetness of the pineapple and coconut! Oh so sweet, and delicious. It’s also so refreshing during the summer or any other time.
Boba Tea (China/Taiwan)
The essential ingredient in boba tea (which doesn’t even necessarily need actual tea!) is tapioca (粉圓 fenyuan), which is processed into chewy balls that are often called “pearls.”
Lemonade with Blueberry Sticks (US/Canada)
Lemonade is one of my kids’ favorite summer treats and blueberries are a natural accompaniment.
An added cultural note: did you know blueberries are indigenous to North America?
Batidos (Costa Rica & Central America)
Costa Rica is a lush paradise where tropical fruit thrives: pineapples, bananas, mangos, maracuyás, guayabas, coconut, cas, etc. Making these easy, super-healthy batidos at home brings a little bit of Costa Rica to your kitchen.
Sweet Tea (US)
In the South (of the US!), summer means sitting on the porch swing and cooling off with a tall glass of iced tea, more properly known as “sweet tea.” Here are 10 ways to make and enjoy your sweet tea!
Fresh Mexican Chia Lemonade
Chias are a tiny seed from Mexico and the southwest US that were used by the Aztecs and Mayans since 1000 BC. Many of these ancient grains have been recently discovered to be super-foods, packed with antioxidants and other health benefits. In Mexico, people enjoy chia seeds in aguas frescas (such as lemonade) especially for healthy digestion, as a detox agent, and to stabilize blood sugar.
Homemade Root Beer (US)
Homemade root beer is always a sign of a special occasion at our house, but there’s just something about fall and Halloween that makes this brew especially exciting. The magic (and the science) is in the dry ice.
Kompot (Poland)
I know almost every country has their own version of this. In France, “compote” is fruit mousse. In Germany, there is “Kompott” that can also be eaten. In Poland, kompot is homemade fruit juice with fruit inside (see more about it here). It can be made from all kinds of fruit, including dry fruit.
Dandelion and Burdock (UK)
This traditional British drink is similar to root beer, but made from the roots of dandelion and burdock. The earliest record of the drink is from c. 1265, from an account of St. Thomas Aquinas!
Homemade Healthy Milo (Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore)
MILO was first showcased in 1934 at the Sydney Royal Easter show, as a response to the Depression, and children’s lack of nutrition due to poverty. This healthy version contains sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and chia seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and cacao!
What are your favorite drinks from around the world? Let us know in the comments the name of the drink and where you grew up!:)
Love these ideas to travel the world one sip at a time! So perfect for the summer too!
OMG, where to begin? This is going to be a fun and yummy list to work my way through!!! Can’t wait to get started!
Absolutely fantastic – thanks for putting it together!
Can’t wait to try out these drinks! Thanks for putting the round up together!
I’ll add another one to the batidos – Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico all have a similar version to this – to a blender add fresh or frozen papaya or mango or banana, throw in a scoop of ice, small amount of water so that it will blend (not too much), and about 4 TBs of condensed sweetened milk and you’ve got the best batido ever
Oooh, sweetened condensed milk! That would be so good!
Awesome! Our Chef will use them for our end of Peace thru Culture celebration.
I wonder which will be the kids’ favorites? 🙂
These look wonderful. My son would love to try these.
I know- I am really interested by the Happy Lemon salt/cocoa one from Asia!
This is a TERRIFIC post!!
Thanks! I can’t wait to try them all!!
Love this post! I want to try every drink on this list! Thank you so much for including my posts, and thanks for sharing at the Culture Swapper!
Fun post, thanks! A typical drink in Honduras is horchata http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horchata and te de jamaica (hibiscus tea).
Such a great list! Love Mint Tea!! I made homemade root beer with my students in Turkmenistan and it was a HUGE hit. They had never had any and we made root beer floats.;)
I want to make homemade root beer with my students! They would love it! 🙂