Chef Lupita
Agua de Alfalfa
Ciudad de México's highland market agua fresca, fresh alfalfa blended with pineapple and lime until bright green, strained clean, and poured cold from the vitrolero.
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Té de Limón Morelense
Created by
Morelos's patio remedy of bruised zacate de limón, boiled until the oils open, sweetened lightly if needed, and poured hot into clay jarritos for the stomach.
Beverages
Mexican
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
5 min
Active Time
12 min cook•17 min total
Yield4 cups
Morelos, the warm central state around Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán, and Yautepec, knows this tea from the patio before it knows it from the market. Té de limón is not black tea with lemon. It is zacate de limón, lemongrass, cut from a tall green clump beside the kitchen door, bruised with the back of a knife, and boiled until the whole room smells clean and sharp.
In Morelos, the heat grows the herb easily. The women who taught me this did not measure it like pharmacy. They grabbed a fistful, rinsed off the dust, bent the stalks to crack them, and dropped them into the pot. That bruising matters. If you do not break the fibers, the oils stay trapped inside the stalk and you get weak yellow water. No me vengas con atajos.
This is comfort food without a plate. A cup after too much food, a cup when a child has fever, a cup before bed when the stomach is arguing. My mother kept dried zacate de limón in a paper bag, but she preferred it fresh when the market had good bundles. She wrote in her notebook: 'machacar tantito antes de hervir' (bruise it a little before boiling). She was right. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.
Zacate de limón, Cymbopogon citratus, arrived in Mexico after the colonial period through global tropical plant exchange and became naturalized in home gardens across warm and temperate regions. In central Mexico, especially Morelos and surrounding states, it entered domestic medicine as a digestive and fever tea because it grows cheaply, dries well, and needs no imported ingredient. The name confuses many cooks outside Mexico: té de limón usually means lemongrass infusion, not Camellia sinensis tea flavored with lemon juice.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh zacate de limón (lemongrass)
Quantity
6 stalks
rinsed well, root ends trimmed, stalks bruised and folded; tender leaves tied in a knot if using
water
Quantity
4 cups
piloncillo (optional)
Quantity
1 small piece, about 1 tablespoon grated
Mexican lime peel (optional)
Quantity
1 thin strip
no white pith
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh zacate de limón (lemongrass)rinsed well, root ends trimmed, stalks bruised and folded; tender leaves tied in a knot if using | 6 stalks |
| water | 4 cups |
| piloncillo (optional) | 1 small piece, about 1 tablespoon grated |
| Mexican lime peel (optional)no white pith | 1 thin strip |
Equipment Needed
- •Small clay olla from Morelos or a 2-quart saucepan
- •Back of a heavy knife or small rolling pin for bruising the stalks
- •Fine-mesh strainer
- •Clay jarritos or thick cups for serving
Instructions
- 1
Clean the herb
Rinse the zacate de limón under running water, especially near the base where soil hides. Trim away dry brown tips and the tough root end. Keep the tender green leaves if they smell bright when crushed. If they smell like dry straw, use only the stalks.
- 2
Bruise the stalks
Lay the stalks on a board and hit them firmly with the back of a knife or a small rolling pin until the fibers split. Fold each stalk in half so it fits in the pot. This is the step that releases the oils. Whole stalks give you polite water. Bruised stalks give you tea. Así se hace y punto.
If using the long leaves, tie them into a loose knot. It keeps the pot orderly and makes straining easier. - 3
Boil gently
Put the bruised zacate de limón and water in a small clay olla or saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. The liquid should turn pale gold and smell grassy, citrusy, and clean. Do not boil it hard for half an hour. You are extracting the herb, not punishing it.
- 4
Sweeten lightly
Add piloncillo only if the tea is for someone who needs a little comfort or if the herb is very sharp. Stir until dissolved. If using lime peel, add it for the last 30 seconds only, then remove it. The peel should brighten the cup, not make it bitter.
- 5
Strain and serve
Strain into clay jarritos or thick cups. Drink it hot, in slow sips. For the stomach, serve it plain or barely sweetened. For fever days, do not make it syrupy. This tea belongs to the medicine of the house, not the dessert table.
Chef Tips
- •Ask for zacate de limón at a Mexican mercado or Latin grocery, not lemon tea bags. The bundle should smell citrusy when you bend a stalk. If it smells dusty, leave it there.
- •Fresh zacate de limón is best. Dried works, but it is a compromise, not an upgrade. Use 2 tablespoons dried leaves for 4 cups water and simmer only 5 minutes because dried leaves can turn harsh.
- •Do not confuse this with limón agrio, the small Mexican lime. The tea is named for its aroma, not because it is made from lime juice.
- •A clay olla gives the tea a rounder heat at the table, but a small stainless saucepan works. The important thing is bruising the stalks before they touch the water.
Advance Preparation
- •The zacate de limón can be rinsed, trimmed, and tied into bundles one day ahead. Keep it wrapped in a damp towel in the refrigerator.
- •The tea is best made fresh. If needed, refrigerate strained tea for up to 24 hours and reheat gently without boiling.
- •Fresh stalks can be dried by hanging in a clean, airy place for 5 to 7 days. Store in a paper bag, not plastic, so they do not trap moisture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 240g)
Calories
15 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
0 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
0 g
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