THE FIRST RECORDED VERSION OF LEMONADE HAILS FROM EGYPT.
Lemonade may be
thought of as an all-American beverage – at least where family cookouts
and baseball games are concerned – but you might be surprised to learn
that its original form actually hails from overseas. Because lemons
originated from what is now China, India, and Myanmar, it’s likely that
some style of lemon drink was consumed there. However, the earliest
written record of a lemon beverage actually comes from 12th-century Egypt.
Along the Mediterranean coast, medieval Egyptians enjoyed Kashkab – a
drink made from fermented barley and flavored with mint, rue, black
pepper, and citron leaf. As lemons were introduced to the region, this
concoction became qatarmizat – essentially, a lemon water sweetened with
sugar. This ancient recipe most resembles the lemonade we know and love
today.
Learn more here.
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