Chef Dimitra
Athenian Freddo Espresso (Φρέντο Εσπρέσο)
Athens made espresso Greek by serving it cold: a double shot shaken with ice until the crema turns thick, then poured over cubes for the cafe standard.
Culinary Explorer
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Attiki Lemonada (Λεμονάδα Αττικής)
Created by
Attiki lemonada is the kafeneio summer glass: fresh lemon juice, a light syrup, and a little zest steeped just long enough to smell like the peel.
Beverages
Greek
Outdoor Dining
Picnic
Budget Friendly
15 min
Active Time
5 min cook•1 hr 20 min total
Yield6 glasses
Attiki lemonada is the summer drink of the Athens kafeneio and the home balcony: fresh lemon juice, a light sugar syrup, cold water, ice. It is not fizzy bottled lemonade. It tastes of the fruit itself, sharp first, then clean and sweet enough to keep you drinking.
The whole glass depends on the syrup. Dissolve the sugar with water, then steep only the yellow zest while it is hot. That little rest pulls out the lemon oil, the perfume in the peel, without dragging in bitterness from the white pith. Then the juice goes in cold, so it stays bright.
I keep this one plain because that is how it earns its place. Λίγα και καλά: good lemons, clean water, enough sugar, and patience while it chills. On a hot afternoon, a bottle of this concentrate in the refrigerator is worth more than any complicated dessert.
Lemonada became a common Greek refreshment in urban kafeneia and home kitchens in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when sugar was no longer only a luxury and lemons from Attica, the Peloponnese, and the islands moved easily through city markets. In Athens and Piraeus, homemade lemon syrup was often kept as a concentrate, then diluted glass by glass for guests, children, and hot afternoons. The zest-steeped syrup separates the home version from factory lemonade, which usually gives sweetness and sourness but little of the peel's aroma.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
250ml
strained, from about 6 large unwaxed lemons
granulated sugar
Quantity
180g
water
Quantity
250ml
for the syrup
cold still or sparkling water
Quantity
750ml
for serving
lemon zest
Quantity
from 2 unwaxed lemons
wide strips, no white pith
ice cubes
Quantity
as needed
thin lemon slices (optional)
Quantity
6
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh lemon juicestrained, from about 6 large unwaxed lemons | 250ml |
| granulated sugar | 180g |
| waterfor the syrup | 250ml |
| cold still or sparkling waterfor serving | 750ml |
| lemon zestwide strips, no white pith | from 2 unwaxed lemons |
| ice cubes | as needed |
| thin lemon slices (optional)for serving | 6 |
Equipment Needed
- •small saucepan, 1 liter
- •fine sieve
- •glass bottle or carafe, 1 liter
- •citrus juicer
Instructions
- 1
Zest the lemons
Wash the lemons well, then cut wide strips of yellow zest from 2 of them, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Juice enough lemons to give 250ml juice, then strain out the seeds and heavy pulp.
- 2
Make the syrup
Put the sugar, 250ml water, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then take it off the heat. Leave the zest in the hot syrup for 20 minutes, no longer. This is the step that decides the lemonade: the zest gives the clean lemon oil aroma, but the white pith gives bitterness if you bully it.
- 3
Strain and chill
Strain out the zest and let the syrup cool. Stir in the 250ml strained lemon juice, bottle the concentrate, and chill it for at least 45 minutes, until properly cold.
- 4
Pour the glasses
For each glass, pour 80ml lemon concentrate over ice and add about 120ml cold still or sparkling water. Stir once, taste, and adjust with a little more water if your lemons are very sharp. Add a thin lemon slice if you like, then drink it while the glass is cold.
Chef Tips
- •Use unwaxed lemons if you are steeping the zest. If the lemons are waxed, scrub them hard under warm water, or skip the zest and make a plainer drink. The peel is the fragrance here, so it must be clean.
- •Do not boil the lemon juice. Add it only after the syrup has cooled a little, because fresh juice tastes flatter once it has been cooked. The syrup can take heat; the juice cannot.
- •Keep the concentrate chilled for up to 5 days. Dilute each glass as you serve it, or the ice and water will soften the flavor before anyone reaches the table.
Advance Preparation
- •Make the lemon concentrate up to 5 days ahead and keep it chilled.
- •Chill the serving water for at least 2 hours before pouring. Lemonada should be cold from the first sip, not rescued by ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 245g)
Calories
140 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
2 mg
Total Carbohydrates
36 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
32 g
Protein
0 g
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