flipOrange Blossom Lemonade
Orange Blossom Lemonade
Why this dish? Under the sun of Constantine and then Toulouse, and by the overheated pools where the athlete trained, a homemade lemonade scented with orange blossom is the simplest and most fitting refreshment: thirst-quenching, inexpensive, homemade. An Algerian childhood drink that a swimmer knows by heart.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, cool water, a little sugar, and a few drops of orange blossom: a clear, fragrant homemade lemonade, served very cold.
After two hours in the water, believe me, you only dream of one thing: a big glass of cool lemonade! We'd squeeze the lemons from the market, a little sugar, a dash of orange blossom like grandmothers did, and drink it in the shade. Nothing complicated, my friend — simplicity truly quenches a man who has pushed himself.
- •Lemons — several, very juicy (acidity)
- •Cool water — a large pitcher (base)
- •Sugar — to taste (balance)
- •Orange blossom water — a few drops (flavor)
Orange Blossom Lemonade
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, cool water, a little sugar, and a few drops of orange blossom: a clear, fragrant homemade lemonade, served very cold.
Why this dish? Under the sun of Constantine and then Toulouse, and by the overheated pools where the athlete trained, a homemade lemonade scented with orange blossom is the simplest and most fitting refreshment: thirst-quenching, inexpensive, homemade. An Algerian childhood drink that a swimmer knows by heart.
After two hours in the water, believe me, you only dream of one thing: a big glass of cool lemonade! We'd squeeze the lemons from the market, a little sugar, a dash of orange blossom like grandmothers did, and drink it in the shade. Nothing complicated, my friend — simplicity truly quenches a man who has pushed himself.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lemons — several, very juicy (acidity)
- Cool water — a large pitcher (base)
- Sugar — to taste (balance)
- Orange blossom water — a few drops (flavor)
Ingredients
- Yellow lemons — 4 (about 150 ml juice) (acidity)
- Cool water — 1 liter (base)
- Sugar — 4 to 6 tbsp (to taste) (balance)
- Orange blossom water — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Ice — as desired (chill)
Method
- Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice to remove seeds.
- In a pitcher, dissolve the sugar in a little warm water, then add the cool water.
- Pour in the lemon juice and orange blossom water, stir, and taste to adjust sugar and acidity.
- Chill for at least one hour, serve very cold with ice cubes and, if desired, a mint leaf.
How it was made : Homemade lemonade was the popular refreshing drink across the entire Mediterranean before industrial sodas. In North Africa, it was often perfumed with a dash of orange blossom water, distilled from bitter orange flowers, a signature ingredient of Maghrebi and Constantinian cuisines.
The contemporary twist : Served in a carafe with lemon slices and fresh mint, terrace-style lemonade — or frozen into a granita for the end of a summer meal.
Alfred Nakache · Charactorium
