Lemon Mint Juice

I've been raving about Lemon Mint juice...and for good reason.

I adore mint...and this drink really showcases it well. The lemon seems a mere backdrop against which the mint really shines.

Very refreshing...and if you like mint, pure heaven.

That's a picture of the lemon mint juice I had at The Dome, which is around the corner from hubby's apartment.

Just the scent of this drink is refreshing.

I asked the waitress how to make the drink. She seemed new to English - most here are fluent, and English is commonly used. (This gal was one of many TCNs - Third Country Nationals - she was one of many working here in Bahrain... so far, and not to be stereotypical, but I haven't seen any Bahraini's working....not that they don't work, but I haven't seen it and am curious about what they do.)

What I understood of her instructions...300 ml of lemon juice, ice, mint and a little bit of sugar to cut the lemon.

(I noticed today at Al Abraj that the guy strained the juice to provide a "smoother" drink - kind of like "pulp free" orange juice.Last night at the other Al Abraj, I was guessing that's what they'd done as that one was smooth as well.)

If you'll notice in the picture above, the Dome's Lemon Mint is clear like water with pieces of ground mint clinging to the glass and floating in the drink.

In less than 24 hours in Bahrain, I've had three Lemon Mint Juices, from three different places.

NOW FOR COMPARISONS...

The Dome's version was the most refreshing and light...perhaps because it was the first. It was a pleasant, welcome surprise for the palate. Not to mention that it was a nice "wake up" call after a 4 hour attempt to catch up on jet lag, ie I slept all afternoon. The fragrance was outstanding..."minty fresh" as they say an just a hint of sweet. (I actually am not a sweet tooth kind of gal. I dislike sickly sweet, in fact, but this was a whisp. Perfectly done.) The Dome's drink was about 1.40 bd (bahraini denar) - around $3.00+.

The version at Al Abraj restaurant proper was a surprise because of the color...a limey green, spirulina color with froth. They seemed to get the drink to blend...the mint blended seemlessly into the drink - no bits and pieces of mint pulp. This is attractive for me because I lean toward the "pulp free" preference in my o.j. This, too, was refreshing and wonderful...just as good as the Dome's...and for about half the cost, about .750 fils. (It takes 1000 fils to make one denar.) This drink was about $1.50/$2.00.

I had the third lemon mint this afternoon at the Al Abraj outpost on American Alley. I had to wait for some Arab guy to pay his tab...think he was Bahraini. The version at this mini Al Abraj looked just like the one from the previous evening in both color and texture - there was no mint pulp floating in the drink. As I mentioned, I suspected that they strained it, but today, I saw the gentleman doing just that.

This version was very lemony...almost like drinking straight lemon juice. Acidic and tart. Not so minty. I was a little disappointed but drank it anyway. I'll try there again as it's so close to the house. My goal is to figure out how to make the drink itself. When I learn, I'll let you know. (I'm seeing visions of a juicer in my future.)

This lemon mint juice was .900 or .950 fils...about $1.90 to $2.40.

The guys working here looked at me asconce when I whipped out my camera to snap a shot of the drink. (I think this picture shows the color well...not a terribly appetizing color, is it?)

The fact is...I've always documented my food. Hubs even got me a tiny camera so that I could document my food covertly...I call it my "secret spy camera". Problem is...I left the cord and instructions at home.

So much for covert...but I'm not exactly shy. (As I pulled my camera out at the gas station last night, I got a "lecture" from hubs about not ever taking pictures of cops and never taking pictures of Arab women...that it could get me in big trouble and get my camera confiscated...darn it...wish I'd brought the secret spy camera now!)

A WORD ON JUICES

They seem to juice everything here, by the way. They also have watermelon juice, strawberry juice, mango juice...just about any juice you could want...and you can get them fresh. Mmmmmm....taaaasteee.

I've noticed the same proliferation of juices in the grocery stores as well...it's actually an unbelievable array of juices available.

Once I get over my initial fascination with the Lemon Mint, i'll perhaps move on to some of the other juices. Watermelon sounds yummy.