I first tasted this refreshing lemonade in Damascus nearly twenty years ago. Since then, the recipe has traveled, and it’s available everywhere in Syria and in Lebanon as well. You can make it with limes for a different flavor, and you can add fragrance by adding a drop of orange blossom or rose water.
MAKES 5CUPS [1.2 L]
2/3 cup [160 ml] freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup [30 g] mint leaves, minced, plus 4 sprigs fresh mint
4 cups [960 ml] water
1/4 cup [50 g] superfine sugar, or more if needed
Ice cubes
Put the lemon juice and mint leaves in a large pitcher. Add the water and sugar and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if you want your lemonade sweeter. Let infuse for about 30 minutes, and then strain out the mint.
Serve in glasses, with a couple of ice cubes and garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.