La Tizana, The Refreshing And Fruity Venezuelan Drink You Should Know

La Tizana, sometimes called tisana, is a fruit-filled punch that originated in Venezuela. The name is the Spanish word for tisane, or herbal tea. This sparkly drink is cool and refreshing, acting as the perfect antidote to the country's often-steamy weather. This beverage, which is great for quenching the thirst of a crowd, is often served at celebrations like birthday parties or brought to beach picnics. And its ingredients can be adapted to fit any audience, from a kid's birthday to more adult festivities. Tizana even works as a perfect way to start the day, making it a staple for fancy breakfasts.

Tizana has a unique consistency. The drink is so laden with chopped fruit that you may want a spoon in addition to a straw. And like many recipes that have been shared for generations, there are many variations of this beverage. With its focus on fresh fruit, tizana can be a bit labor-intensive to make. But once you taste it, you'll be glad you made the effort.

Some compare tizana to agua fresca, a well-known fruity beverage in Central America. In the case of agua fresca, the fruit is usually mixed with water. For tizana, orange juice is the basis of the recipe, sometimes accompanied by club soda.

When making tizana, however, most of the work comes from preparing the fruit. Every recipe for this drink seems to have a different mix of fruits, but some of the most popular ones are pineapple, banana, apple, watermelon, mango, and strawberry. First the fruit is chopped into bite-sized pieces; you're looking for a small dice so the fruit isn't too cumbersome. Put the fruit in a large pitcher and then add your juice.

To give the tizana its distinctive shade of pink, a bit of grenadine is added. Some finish the drink off by adding fruit-flavored soda or frozen limeade before it's served. For a more adult spin on tizana, Champagne or Prosecco can be added. When stored in the refrigerator, the drink will be good for about seven days.