Aguas frescas look cool – cool as in refreshing on a warm afternoon, but also as in fun and attractive. The flavored water made with fruits, vegetables, flowers, cereals, or seeds can be sweet or savory, and they are easily spotted at local farmers markets.
Bella Fruits & Drinks has been quenching thirsts and exciting the senses for over 15 years. It’s a small family-run food truck Carlos Cervantes and his wife, Cristina Bernal Mendoza, started using Bernal Mendoza’s family recipes. Every Saturday, Cervantes and his family start their day around 3:30am, prepping about 30 water flavors. Their menu includes classics like horchata and tamarind alongside some distinctive combinations – cucumber-spinach, orange-papaya and more. Every week they change at least six flavors.
“Clients ask for something different and we include it in the menu,” Cervantes says in Spanish.
They also prepare different menus depending upon the food truck’s location. When they park in Salinas, customers tend toward sweeter, fruit-laced waters. In Carmel Valley, on the other hand, there’s more demand for vegetable-based flavors. Of course, they can provide both. Recently Bella listed a sweet, fresh carrot-orange water. Another favorite is lavender-lime.
On sunny days, they sell up to 75 gallons of multicolored refreshment.
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