Nga Nguyen

Ponche Navideño Mexicano (Mexican fruit tea)

Please take note. We know a superwoman.

First she said: We are making Ponche!

Then, a bag of goodies with hard-to-find ingredients magically appeared on our doorsteps. Tada. Just like that.

But wait, there was more. A text: “If you don’t have any pot, I can bring you one.”

I didn’t know we can smoke pot with ponche. Now this is really magical! Claudia is a superwoman. Confirmed.

According to the experts (aka Bertha and Claudia), ponche is a traditional Mexican sweet hot drink during Christmas and New Year holidays. It is often made with fresh and dried fruits, spices and hibiscus. May I add another important ingredient, in my humble opinion: fruits of labor. Lots of it.

Me (peeling and poking to number “n” of hawthorns): I’m almost done.

Bertha: Make sure you get all the seeds.

Me: Yup, I got them.

Bertha: Good! There are THREE seeds in each hawthorn, okay?

Me: $@)A$8QmjljWT!

(back to number 1st).

This is why we need to add a shot (or two, or three) of Tequila or rum to the ponche!

The Ponche Navideño Mexicano was absolutely delicious. Make sure you savor the fruits (particularly the hawthorns).

Enjoy and cheers!

Ponche Navideño Mexicano (Mexican fruit tea)

20 Mexican hawthorns (tejocotes)
5 small guavas (rinsed, cut into 4)
4 sugarcanes, about 4″ (peeled, rinsed, and halved lengthwise)
2 pieces of piloncillo
A handful of dried hibiscus flower (rinsed)
10 dried prunes
2 tamarinds (peeled and rinsed)
2 apples (rinsed, cored and cut into 8)
1 cinnamon stick

  1. In a stockpot, boil 3 cups of water.
  2. Add hawthorns (tejocotes) and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain.
  3. Once the hawthorns are cool to touch, gently peel the skin, and use a straw or a chopstick to pick through the fruit to remove the seeds.
    • Note: there are three seeds in each fruit, so make sure you remove them all.
  4. Add 10 cups of water into the stockpot together with all ingredients.
  5. Simmer for 30 minutes – 1 hours.
  6. Serve hot with fruits and a piece of sugarcane in each mug.
    • Note: the ponche can be kept for several days and reheated before serving.