Every fifth Friday of Lent, in Oaxaca flavored waters are given away in homes, businesses, and under porticos. This colonial-era tradition weaves together elements of Catholic faith and local culture. Historically, these “refreshments” represented moments of pause and socialization, and Oaxaca’s aguas frescas reflect the region’s fruit diversity and seasonality. Traditional recipes include rice horchata, tamarind, and hibiscus, which can be enriched with chopped fruit and spices.

Samaritana Tables was a project that revived the essence of the traditional refresco as an alternative to contemporary beverages, rethinking both flavors and moments of consumption.