What is the Spa water TikTok trend and why has it caused so much controversy?

A new TikTok trend revolving around a drink called Spa Water has landed itself in controversy after some users accused it of cultural appropriation after many noticed its similarities with a Mexican and Latin American non-alcoholic drink called agua fresca.

The trend appears to have gotten popular on TikTok after it was started by the American influencer Gracie Norton who has more than 500,000 followers on the platform.

In the video, which Norton has since deleted, she makes a drink which contains the ingredients ice cold water, cucumber, a fruit of your choice, lime juice, and sugar.

According to Dexerto, Norton posted several other videos of herself enjoying the beverage but the backlash from TikTok and the Latin community was so severe that they have all now gone.

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One user @itsdonutshole made a stitch with the original video saying: "This is the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation."

Parodies of the drink and the video have now started to appear on TikTok with the Latin community reclaiming the so-called 'spa water.'

Norton has since issued an apology on her Instagram page. She wrote: “The proper name for the drink is Agua Fresca, and the origin belongs to the Latin community. I sincerely apologize to the Latin community and those of you that I have offended.”

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