Do You Add Salt to Lemonade or Limeade?

Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong is a writer and public health dietitian focused on food systems, racial equity, and nutrition. Originally from Los Angeles, she has taught English in rural Japan, worked as a private chef in Malibu, and led an innovative city-funded corner store program in New…read more
updated Jun 5, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

It might sound strange, but in many parts of the world, lemonade and limeade are usually salted, making a drink that balances tartness with both sugar and salt. We know that some of you salt your fruit, but do you ever add salt to your citrus drinks?

Citrusy cocktails like margaritas and salty dogs are served with a rim of salt, so although it shouldn’t seem so odd to drink a salty limeade, I was fairly repelled the first time I tried it in Thailand. (I wasn’t warned that it was salted beforehand, which didn’t help.) Now, though, I like the interplay of sour, sweet and salty, which is especially refreshing after a long hike or other sweaty activity.

Recipes to try:
Mark Bittman’s Sweet or Salty Lemonade or Limeade – New York Times
Chanh Muoi (Vietnamese Salty Lemonade) – Wandering Chopsticks
Astor Bake Shop’s Sea Salt Lemonade – Village Voice

Alternatively, you could treat your limeade like a margarita and dip the rim of the glass in salt, or a combination of sugar and salt, before filling it.

Do you ever add salt to your lemonade or limeade?

Related:

Pitcher Drinks for an Indian-Themed Party?

(Image: Flickr member Robert S. Donovan licensed under Creative Commons; Whole Foods Market)