🇨🇷 Costa Rican Cuisine

Agua Dulce

Sweet Cane Water

Prep Time 5 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy

A warm, soothing drink made by dissolving tapa de dulce (raw cane sugar) in hot water or milk — Costa Rica's most humble and beloved traditional beverage.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Chop or grate the tapa de dulce for faster dissolving.
  2. 2 For hot agua dulce: heat water with tapa de dulce and cinnamon, stir until dissolved.
  3. 3 For cold version: dissolve in warm water, chill, add lime juice. Serve over ice.
  4. 4 Alternatively, use hot milk instead of water for a richer drink.
  5. 5 Stir well and serve.

Did You Know?

Costa Rican campesinos have started their mornings with agua dulce for centuries — it was the original energy drink long before coffee took over.