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Why Lemon Peel?

 
 
 
 

I'm confused about this, and I've been confused for a VERY long time.  What's with the little piece of lemon peel that gets dumped on the side of my cup of espresso in restaurants?  By the way, "espresso" is the modern word for "demi-tasse" among us older folks.

Lemons (source:cocreatr)Anyway, I have no idea what the taste of lemon peel has to do with coffee.  I hate leaving it on the table (seems wasteful), but I can never get the waiter to leave it off.  I can get them to leave the sugar in the kitchen (why ruin a good cup with sugar?), but the lemon peel almost never goes away.  So, I give up: I just leave it.

The thing is, I do my share of travel to countries where expressed coffee is a way of life, and I don't recall ever seeing the lemon peel decoration.  I wonder if they stop foreign waiters at the border, and train them to do this?

Next some bartender will stick a slice of lemon into my beer.  But that's a subject for another day....

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REVIEWS & COMMENTS

  • WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR COFFEE?

    Son Ton | Sat, 01/21/2012 - 05:13

    it is interesting tidbit about the lemon peel but I have never seen this before! Where do you get your espresso served to you this way?

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  • LEMON ZEST

    Chernut2002 | Sun, 12/18/2011 - 03:47

    I was just actually watching a re-run of Cagney and Lacey, and I saw one of the characters being served an Expresso and he actually asked for a lemon, then peeled some of the rind off and put it in his cup with the Expresso to help with the bitterness. Which then prompted me to look it up on the internet. Aside from this post it also led me to a article on citrus peel and its medicinal uses. Explaining how citrus peel has been used for centuries as a remedy for many ailments. Mostly having to do with your digestive system. Anyway here's the link to the article. http://www.herbcompanion.com/health/citrus-peel-medicine.aspx it's really interesting, and it includes recipes, the one for the orange peel coffee sounds yummy. I might have to try it. Not sure if it has anything to do with Lemon Peel in your Expresso, but hey it's worth a look.

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  • INTERESTING TO LEARN OF THAT

    intrepid510 | Wed, 12/07/2011 - 14:58

    Interesting to learn of that WW2 connection to the lemon peel, I thought it was suppose to be used like shot at a bar. Take your shot and suck on your lemon!

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  • GREAT TOPIC

    Wakeknot | Sat, 09/24/2011 - 19:21

    fun to read the blog and the comments.

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  • SOUR ON THIS IDEA

    EricBNC | Mon, 09/05/2011 - 17:19


    It will curdle the milk in your coffee - skip the lemon.

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  • LEMON IN COFFEE

    peter | Sat, 01/30/2010 - 14:20

    I'm surprised to see you never just put the peel IN your coffee. Stop living in the dark.

  • LEMON PEEL

    Nico | Thu, 10/01/2009 - 12:39

    The purpose of the lemon Peel is to clean the cup, nothing else.
    In Italy during WWII, the cafes were running out of water due to the Germans bombing major cities. As a result, cafes owners were saving water to serve coffee to their guest but were using the lemon peel to clean the rim of the espresso cups. Since many American journalists were in Italy reporting about the war, when they came back to the US they wrote about the Italians using Lemon Peel in their coffees.
    So now you know!!!
    An other good story is the origin of the French Roast!!! but it is for another post...

  • LEMON PEEL

    Fenimore | Sun, 09/27/2009 - 14:15

    As far as the lemon peel goes, I know a trick that relates slightly to this subject. When ordering coffee at a restaurant that doesn't usually get rid of their coffee real quick, it (obviously) has a capacity for being burnt and bitter, asking for a small slice of lemon helps, put in a drop or two and it'll get rid of the bitter burnt taste (while also telling you not to order coffee here again.)

  • WHY LEMON PEEL?

    Bill Lush | Sat, 09/05/2009 - 15:57

    Thanks Lisa. At least now I know why it's there. I just wish I knew how to stop it.

    And how about the coffee beans in Sambucca? About all I've been told on that one is that there should always be an odd number, otherwise it's bad luck.

    One more thing to worry about.....

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  • WHY LEMON PEEL

    lisa | Thu, 09/03/2009 - 18:23

    Whenever I see a lemon peel by the side of my espresso cup, I know that the executive chef of the establishment has not done his/her homework. Had she/he had any understanding of the purpose of the lemon peel, she/he would be rather embarassed. Why? Well the lemon peel is there for 2 possible reasons:

    One: to counteract the taste of a poorly made, over roasted, bitter espresso. The oil in the peel can conteract the bitterness. Why would anyone serve such a bitter espresso that a lemon peel is needed to counteract it?

    Two: During WWII, lemons were often used to sanitize cups and eating utensils. Perhaps there was an American soldier that received a twist of lemon besides his cup of espresso and thought this was the proper garnish and that's how this "traditon" was born.

    In Italy today, which is the birthplace of espresso, you will never be served an espresso with lemon. No Italian barista would to embarass him/herself. :-)

  • MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

    Shawn Steiman | Tue, 09/01/2009 - 12:39

    When I was younger, I saw this a lot in restaurants but never in cafes. It doesn't happen in Hawaii as far as I've seen.

    'Tis a good question, though, who's idea was it originally and what was s/he thinking?

    Welcome to Roaste Bill!

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  • LOL! I'VE NEVER SEEN IT IN EUROPE OR ANYWHERE ELSE TOO...

    Eyal Rosen | Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:20

    I wonder what's the source of this...?

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