Give Your Lemonade a New Twist
On hot summer days, we must take care to stay properly hydrated. What did people do years ago, before electrolyte drinks, when America was mainly rural and summer meant laboring in hot fields? I was curious what people working all day in the sun drank to stay safe.
Switchel, also called haymaker’s punch, came up in my research. Considered more effective than water and associated primarily with the Amish and Shakers, switchel was made with lemon juice, ginger, vinegar and molasses, and sweetened with honey or maple syrup. I tried an old Shaker recipe, and though somewhat pleasant, it tasted different from today’s beverages.
Hoping to make a simpler natural thirst-quencher, I thought of a tall, icy cold plum soda beverage served at Vietnamese restaurants. The ingredients are a kind of salt-preserved plum, sugar, club soda, and ice. On hot days, its salty and sweet flavors, while unexpected make it both delicious and effectively hydrating.
To find out about the plum used, I called my friend Wai Chu, who teaches Asian cooking in New York City. Wai explained it is a cherry-sized green Asian plum. Pickling in brine turns them yellow and tangy-tasting. For the drink, mash up one or two plums in a tall glass, add some of the salty brine, ice, and club soda, plus sugar to taste.
These salty plums are only available in Asian communities, so I developed my own drink with the same sweet, tart and salty flavors that refresh and rehydrate. It is lemonade with a kick because it includes heat, from cayenne and black pepper. Asians appreciate that pepper helps keep you cool, plus these flavors go well with the lemon. To sweeten this lemonade, I use agave, which eliminates waiting for sugar to dissolve, it includes a bit of salt too. If you find club soda more refreshing by all means use it in place of water.
Asian Lemonade
– Makes 1 serving
* 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
* 1/8 tsp. kosher salt*
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* 1 Tbsp. light agave syrup
* 3/4 cup cold water
* 6 ice cubes
* 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
In measuring cup, combine lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and agave syrup. Add cold water and mix well. Place ice in tall glass and pour lemonade over it. Add black pepper as garnish and serve immediately.
*Kosher salt is used because has the cleanest taste of all salts; the minerals in sea salt affect its flavor, so every brand tastes slightly different.
Per serving: 80 calories, 0 g total fat, 23g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 240 mg sodium.
The Author:
“Something Different” is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.
