Mediterranean-Style Mint Lemonade (Limonada)

My take on limonada: Mediterranean-style mint lemonade as they make it in Egypt. Intense with flavor, extra frothy, and extremely refreshing! There is a tiny trick involved that makes all the difference…

There is an ahwa on every street corner in Egypt. If you’re not familiar, ahwas are small coffeehouses. We’re talking hole-in-the-wall type establishments, open to the streets and filled with tiny round tables and chairs. The air is usually filled with smoke from the hookas (water pipes).

They say, if you want to see and hear Egypt, all you need to do is hang out at an ahwa. There are many sounds going on–sounds of busy streets; sounds of men talking politics and young men competing in tournaments of board games; and sounds of ahwa waiters shouting drink orders.

On the menu are the usual drinks: Turkish coffee; black tea; and limonada (lemonade). My favorite is mint lemonade, which is more commonly served in the summer.

The trick to a frothy mint lemonade

Today’s lemonade recipe is my take on the Mediterranean-style mint lemonade as served in Egypt’s ahwas. It’s similar to classic strawberry lemonade, but it’s more dense, frothy, and comes with an extra refreshing punch from fresh mint.

The trick to this thicker, frothy mint lemonade is in blending the majority of the lemons or limes with the skin on. This adds intensity to the flavor and the texture of the lemonade.

This Mediterranean-style mint lemonade is absolutely my favorite drink, particularly on hot summer days!  For a more grown-up beverage, you can add a splash of vodka (or try out my Aperol spritz recipe, ouzo drink with lemon, or this refreshing limoncello).

Here is the step-by-step for this mint lemonade recipe

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Important note: if your blender is weaker, you will want to cut the lemons into smaller pieces, and also finely chop the mint leaves before blending.

Add all the crushed ice, water, 2 cut lemons, juice of 1 lemon, fresh mint, and sugar to the pitcher of a high-quality blender.

Cover and push blend or liquefy (high-speed function), until you achieve the desired drink consistency. Taste and add more sugar or mint leaves, if you like. Blend again.

Pour the lemonade into a serving pitcher through a mesh strainer. Add fresh mint leaves to the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

If you like, strain the lemonade again as you pour into serving glasses. Enjoy cold!

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Other Mediterranean recipes with mint: 

Watermelon Salad with Mint and Feta

Tabouli Salad

Last-minute feta cheese dip

Spicy Harissa Lentil Salad 

Mediterranean-Style Mint Lemonade (Limonana)

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• Author: The Mediterranean Dish
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x

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Description

Mint lemonade, prepared Egyptian-style! Intense with flavor, frothy, and extremely refreshing! You’ll love this limonana, but there is a small trick that makes all the difference.

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Ingredients

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• 2 cups crushed ice
• 4 cups water
• 2 large lemons (or limes), washed, cut into small pieces, and seeds removed
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves, stems removed (about 25–40 mint leaves), more for later
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, more or less to your liking (you can use cane sugar or part honey, if you like)

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Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to the pitcher of a high-quality blender. Cover and push blend or liquefy (high-speed function), until you achieve the desired drink consistency.
2. Taste and add more sugar or mint leaves, if you like. Blend again.
3. Pour the lemonade into a serving pitcher through a mesh strainer. Add fresh mint leaves to the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
4. If you like, strain the lemonade again as you pour into serving glasses. Enjoy cold!

Notes

If your blender is weaker, you will want to cut the lemons into smaller pieces, and also finely chop the mint before blending.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Category: Drinks
• Cuisine: Mediterranean