Would You Dare to Drink Italy’s Exploding Lemonade?

Lemonade stands are one of the official harbingers of summer. Although not as popular as they used to be, whenever the weather starts to heat up, a bunch of young entrepreneurs across the country take to the sidewalks to serve homemade refreshments to parched pedestrians, usually for a bargain price.

While some cite the U.S. as the birthplace of this phenomenon, it turns out that the people of Naples coined the idea first. However, their version of lemonade stands — and the product they serve — is a bit different from the classic proposition of lemon juice, sugar, and water.

Limonata a Cosce Aperte (which roughly translates to “open legs lemonade”) is a combination of Sorrento lemon juice, sparkling water, and baking soda. When preparing it, a spoonful of baking soda as a finishing touch causes the concoction to start foaming up wildly, sending liquid spilling out of the serving vessel. As such, the drinker has to chug the beverage quickly before the carbonation subsides, and unless they want lemonade all over their clothes, they must drink it while slightly bent over with their legs spread apart.

The exact origins of the exploding lemonade are unknown, but some vendors have been in business as far back as the 1830s. Given that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) wasn’t isolated until the 1790s, it’s likely that the dawn of Limonata a Cosce Aperte was sometime during the early 1800s.

The chemical reaction that causes the drink to overflow is identical to the one that occurs when making a baking soda and vinegar volcano — a common elementary school science experiment. When a base (baking soda) and an acid (lemon juice) mix, acid-base neutralization begins, which releases a burst of carbon dioxide. The CO2 in the sparkling water only adds fuel to the foaming effect.

To make Limonata a Cosce Aperte as they do over in Italy, it’s mandatory to use Sorrento lemons. These lemons are native to the Sorrento Peninsula in southern Italy — located just below Naples — but they grow in many parts of Italy’s Campania region and can be found in specialty stores in the U.S. Sorrento lemons are larger and sweeter than most other lemon varieties, making the exploding lemonade slightly sweet without any added sugar. To get the full essence of the lemon in the drink, vendors typically press the fruits multiple times, extracting their juice as well as the oils in their peels.

In Naples, Limonata a Cosce Aperte is commonly enjoyed as a post-meal digestif. The citric acid in the lemon juice can help bolster stomach acid production, which helps to break down food. Simultaneously, the baking soda functions as an antacid, neutralizing those acids in the stomach. Since Naples is known for its rich delicacies like sfogliatella and Neapolitan pizza, Limonata a Cosce Aperte allows tourists and locals alike to indulge in the local cuisine without falling into a food coma halfway through the day. Think of it like a shot of nonalcoholic limoncello and a few TUMS tablets in the same glass, but fizzier, tastier, more refreshing, and more fun.

*Image retrieved from Patryk Kosmider via stock.adobe.com

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