Mint lemonade
Lemonade flavored with mint
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mint lemonade is lemonade flavored with mint. It may be made with whole mint leaves, mint-flavored syrup, or pureed mint leaves, and may be served over ice cubes or blended with ice into a slush or smoothie. It is sometimes called a virgin mojito.[1]
Mint lemonade in Spain | |
| Type | Lemonade |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Lemon juice, sugar or honey, water, mint, ice cubes |
It is found in North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East,[2] and is attested since the early 20th century.[3][4]
Preparation
The mint flavor may be added to lemonade in various ways:
- Fresh mint leaves, sometimes simply as a garnish.[citation needed]
- Muddled mint leaves.[5]
- Processing the mint with the lemon juice in a blender.[6]
- Mint syrup, made by simmering mint leaves in sugar water.[7][8]
- Crème de menthe liqueur.[9]
It may be mixed with still or sparkling water.
It may be served over ice, or blended with ice to make a slush, smoothie, or granita.[10]
There are also bottled versions.[citation needed]
History
A recipe for mint lemonade was provided by 13th century Andalusian scholar Ibn al-Baytar, it called for using sugar, lemon juice, mint, and water.[11][12]
The drink is very popular within Israel, sometimes called the “National drink of Israel”, although this title is unofficial. It is primarily consumed during the summer months.[13]
Variants
Variants may add ingredients such as ginger,[14] maple syrup,[15] lime juice,[16] black salt and apple juice.[1]
Adding spirits
As a flavor
Mint lemonade may also be made into sorbets, ice pops, and so on.[citation needed]
Names
In Israel, it is called limonana, a portmanteau of limon Hebrew: לימון 'lemon' and naʿnaʿ Hebrew: נענע 'mint'.[23][24] The word was coined for an advertising campaign to promote bus advertising, in which various celebrities were shown promoting a drink called "Limonana", a blend of lemon and mint, which was in the end revealed to be fictitious.[25][26][27][6]
