Mexican Fruit Ponche Navideño
Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch (Ponche Navideño)
Makes about 30 servings
Growing up in Mexico City, the simmering of this Fruit Ponche Navideño and aroma brings me strong childhood Christmas holiday memories, the excitement of family and friends coming together, and the culture, colors, sounds and fragrances from all the food that is traditional served this time of the year brings me echoes of my memories.
This Mexican Christmas punch, is a hot fruit punch served with or without alcohol during the Christmas holiday season in Mexico, traditionally served in rustic clay “jarritos” or clay cups that are excellent for hot or cold beverages.
Ponche Navideño is served most generally during “Las Posadas” Posada is a Spanish word for “inn,” and the Posadas Navideñas, which recall events leading up to the Nativity of Jesus, are a centerpiece of Christmas traditions in Mexico. There is usually at least one Posada taking place in a neighborhood of every town on every night between the 16th and 24th of December.
On those chilly nights, this warm and fragrant infusion warms you from the inside out.
It looks like a bubbling pot of hot fruit salad. It smells like heaven. It's a classic symbol of Christmas.
Every traditional Mexican Hot Ponche recipe calls for fresh tejocotes. Mexican hawthorn. It is native to the mountains of Mexico.