Ingredients
The juice
- juice of 6 lemons
- or a mixture of lemon and lime
- a large bunch of fresh mint
- leaves picked
- 100 gsugar
- or to taste
- 500 mlcold water
- a pinch of salt
To blend
- about 500 g ice
- roughly 4 cups
To serve
- tall glasses
- a mint sprig each
- a slice of lemon
- with a meal
Directions
- Blend it briefly rather than at length. Stop as soon as it is combined. Pick the leaves off the thicker stems. Thick lower stems should not go in.
- Juice them rather than blending them. Wash the mint thoroughly in cold water. Shake it as dry as you possibly can. Pick the leaves from the thick stems. Discard the thick lower stems. Swish it in a bowl of cold water.
- Lift it out rather than pouring off. Warm the sugar with a little water. Stir it until it dissolves completely. Let it cool right down before using it. Granulated sugar does not dissolve in cold liquid.
- Roll them firmly on the counter first. Cut them in half and juice them. Strain out all the pips and pulp. Put the ice in the blender first. Add the lemon juice in with it. Add the cold water and the syrup. Add the mint leaves last of all. Add the pinch of salt as well. That keeps it from going bitter.
- Blend it on high for about twenty seconds. Stop as soon as the ice is broken down. Serve it immediately for that reason. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. Add more syrup if it is too sharp.
- Add more lemon if it is too sweet. It should be clearly sour first. Adjust all three to your own taste. Serving it is done immediately.
- Pour it out into tall cold glasses. Add a sprig of mint to each glass. Add a slice of lemon to the rim. This must be drunk straight away. Blend it to order every single time. It does not keep at all well after. Make it fresh each and every time.
Technique
- Alcohol is restricted in Oman and not served in most restaurants, so fresh juices fill that place at the table and are treated as a proper drink rather than a soft one; Gulf cafés carry long juice menus blended to order, and lemon with mint is the most established combination.
- Over-blending mint releases bitter compounds and turns the drink a dull dark green, so add the mint last and blend only about twenty seconds, stopping as soon as the ice is broken down; mint stems are noticeably more bitter than leaves, so pick the leaves off the thick ones.
- Roughly as much ice as liquid goes in and is blended rather than added, which is what makes it a slush; less ice gives a thin cold juice instead. It must be drunk immediately, since the ice melts and it separates within the hour.
Substitutions
- Lime or a mixture of lemon and lime gives a sharper more aromatic result.
- Blending the sugar with the ice dissolves it and saves making a syrup.
Variations
- A pinch of salt is added in many Gulf juices to sharpen the sourness.
- Some cafés add a little lemon zest for aroma but never the bitter pith.
- It is served in tall glasses with a straw and drunk immediately.
History
A modern Omani and Gulf cafe standard, served in tall glasses with meals in place of alcohol.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lemon mint juice?
Lemon mint juice is a drink from Oman: lemon juice blended with fresh mint and ice into a frothy green slush. A modern Omani and Gulf cafe standard, served in tall glasses with meals in place of alcohol.
How long does Lemon mint juice take to make?
Lemon mint juice takes 10 minutes of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Lemon mint juice?
Yes, within limits. Lime or a mixture of lemon and lime gives a sharper more aromatic result. Blending the sugar with the ice dissolves it and saves making a syrup.
What is the most important thing to get right in Lemon mint juice?
Blend it briefly rather than at length. Stop as soon as it is combined. Pick the leaves off the thicker stems. Thick lower stems should not go in.
