Lemonade is one of the most popular traditional soft drinks in Turkey where lemons are abundant. Lemonade has been served for centuries dating back to Ottoman times and is a favorite of homemakers, chefs and street vendors alike.
What makes Turkish lemonade so special? It's not sour! It has an incredibly smooth, lemony taste with no tartness. It's great for kids and requires less sugar than some sour lemonades.
This special flavor is achieved by either rubbing or cooking the lemon rinds with the sugar first, then double straining the liquid using cheesecloth for extra smoothness. Almost everyone in Turkey can remember their mother grinding lemon rinds and lovingly rubbing them with sugar to get the best flavor.
Here is my recipe for Turkish-style lemonade that you can try at home:
You can also use this recipe with oranges and grapefruits, or mix all three for citrus-ade!
For more to do with lemons:
Photo © Elizabeth Taviloglu, 2012