Frozen Mint Lemonade Recipe

Whenever I'm asked for restaurant recommendations in Israel, I share a long list of the best falafel and hummus spots, and places to sample the cutting edge of Tel Aviv's culinary scene. But there is always one must-try item on the list with no restaurant or café name attached to it: limonana. The refreshing mint-infused lemonade feels as ubiquitous in Israel as ice cream is in the U.S. It's sipped during lunch, at bars on the beach and grabbed on the go on a hot day. The mint-and-lemon combo instantly cuts the heat from the region's blistering sun.

While limonana is served in other Middle Eastern countries, the drink, as the story goes, became popular in Israel because of a fake advertising campaign. Advertising company Fogel Levin placed ads for a minty lemonade on buses in the 1990s to prove how effective bus ads could be. Two weeks later, with people asking for the drink, the team admitted that the whole thing was a hoax. But it caught on, and restaurants started to make the drink regardless.

These days, there are slushie versions, like this one, with chopped-up ice to make them extra refreshing. It's the best way to beat the heat, promise.

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen