Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Radio Show & Podcast Feedback => Topic started by: Eric A. Taylor on 06/11/2009 09:59:34
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I've heard you many times in kitchen science using a "lemonade" bottle. I think I know what it is you're talking about but many of my countrymen are sometimes ignorant of it. In America "lemonade" is specifically a sweetened soft drink made from the juice of lemons (If alcohol is added it's called "hard lemonade"). While visiting friends in The Netherlands in 1986 I was offered "lemonade". As it was a hot day I happily excepted (in America it's traditionally a summer drink). What I was given was NOT what I expected. And like many who drink something thinking it's something else I was shocked and didn't like it at first but tried it again and loved it. Our friends brewed the drink themselves so I never saw the bottle it comes in when bought at the store. I helped gather some of the flowers it was made from. It came from a bush about two meters tall with large groups of tiny white flowers. The groups of flowers were arranged in round dome shapes maybe 4 or 5 inches across. Don't know what the plant was called but they grew wild in the Netherlands. I've seen bushes very much like them in California but I don't know if they are the same species of plant.
There is a mushroom that grows in the SF Bay Area called the "death cap" that is quite toxic. Every year several people, usually Chinese immigrants who die and/or require liver transplants because it looks just like a tasty edible mushroom that grows in China. So for obvious reasons I've not tried to make the drink here.
Does the term "lemonade" apply to any soft drink?
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Sounds like you were given Elder flower.
Elder Sambucus
Prolific small white flowers arranged in heads of approx 15cms in diameter. Later in the season these become small berries coloured from near black to a deep greyish blue or red.
There are around 30 species of this shrub, or small tree, which are common to the temperate to sub-tropical regions mainly in the northern hemisphere.
Both the flowers and the berries are used to make soft drinks and wine, although these are not very popular in the UK.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbp1.blogger.com%2F_KLBLsXR9i0M%2FSGI11SwQivI%2FAAAAAAAAAp0%2FW4Icr_o4n7g%2Fs400%2Felderberries.JPG&hash=19ceb5a02d9911f9359f64caf8b1cea2) Elder flowers.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbp3.blogger.com%2F_KLBLsXR9i0M%2FSGI2T8HgXfI%2FAAAAAAAAAp8%2FS_HSoJ2SjbY%2Fs400%2Fcherries.JPG&hash=03112978506b827ba98e69f95faa1749) Red Elder berries
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nativehaunts.com%2Feberrynovainhand.jpg&hash=0ee1c24fdefe5e64617e70308ad54180) The more common deep blue/black/purple berries.
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Here's a recipe I found for elder flower cordial:
Ingredients
20 elderflower heads
1 sliced lemon
2 tsp of citric acid
1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) of sugar
1.2 ltr (2.5 pints) boiling water
Method
Boil a kettle for the water.
Fill a bowl or small bucket with all the other ingredients.
Pour the water over the other ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Skin the surface of the water to get rid of the scum that can arise. Cover with a cloth.
Stir twice a day for five days.
Strain though a fine sieve or through muslin cloth and decant into sterile screw topped bottles. Refrigerate.
As with other cordials dilute with 5 parts water to serve
Here are the American elders:
Sambucus canadensis (American Elder; eastern North America; with blue-black berries)
Sambucus pubens (American Red Elder; northern North America)
Just one point about the elder, although it described as a shrub or small tree, they can achieve quite a spread and readily self seed, so can become a bit of a nuisance. In my opinion, they can smell a bit like cat's pee.
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You have Sprite in America right? That's essentially what lemonade is, here in Australia anyway.
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OK Thanks Don that looks like the flower used. and thanks for the recipe.
OK so lemon-lime soda Sprite, or 7-Up is "lemonade". Hope Dave can say "lemonade, or 2 liter pop bottle" in the future.
I find differences between "American" and "English" English interesting. I've learned recently that "fanny", bum in America, is quite an offensive word for female parts in Australia, thus a "fanny pack" in Australia is called a bum-pack. Bum in America is a homeless person. Or more generally a person who doesn't pay their debts, especially child support.
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I often wear a pair of thongs when i'm out and about
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I'm glad to hear it, and what do you put on your feet? (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Flol%2F10.gif&hash=6ec91e8a6973558a9092ab9ab4cf5ba4)
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a PAIR of thongs....good grief are you really that fa-- aw large?
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Well it's easier with a pair, that way you don't have to hop
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.smh.com.au%2Fsit%2Fthongs.jpg&hash=5abef63dd90b3a5cb2e1dbf240bcdbfd)
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I just can't wear those damn things, they keep slipping off unless I sellotape them to my feet. Do you find the need to use durex when wearing them?
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Haha, no, you can't run in them or anything, but once you get used to them you'll never go back. wards. backwards.
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Yup. Seven-Up would be a close approximation - and almost b*gger all to do with lemons. Older lemonade bottles were made of glass and had a hard rubber screw-in stopper. They were capable of containing quite high pressures.
In Scotland, lemonade was commonly referred to as "ginger" (probably from ginger ale). Ginger could refer to just about any carbonated soft drink, regardless of the (alleged) flavour.
A common expression:
"Gonny gies a shot o'yer ginger then?"
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... Hope Dave can say "lemonade, or 2 liter pop bottle" in the future.
I find differences between "American" and "English" English interesting.
North American usages for “pop”
United States
“Coke”, in most of the South, including New Mexico and much of eastern and southern Oklahoma. Some older generations of Southerners refer to soft drinks as “dope”.
“Pop” in most of the Midwest and Mountain West and into the western part of the Northeast, including such cities as Chicago IL; Cleveland OH; Pittsburgh PA; Detroit MI; Minneapolis-St. Paul MN; Erie PA and Buffalo NY; and as far south as the northern half of OK. The majority of the states of IA and MI (including the UP), especially the Metro Detroit area specifically call soft drinks “Pop” (Faygo, a brand of soft drink made in Detroit is an example of this).
“Soft drink” predominates in the lower Midwest, such as southern Indiana.
“Soda” in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, the Southwest (CA, NV, AZ), HA, parts of FL (especially South Florida, in the Miami area), and small parts of the Midwest (around St. Louis; and Southeast WI).
“Tonic” is sometimes used in eastern New England, but more specifically Boston, although the usage is being replaced with “soda”; cola drinks are generally referred to as “Coke” (or sometimes “Pepsi”) unless another brand is specified.
“Soda pop” is used by some speakers, especially in the mountain west. “Soda” or “drinks” is common in ID and UT.
“Drink”, “cold drink”, and “soda” are locally common in southern VA and the NC and SC, spreading from there as far as LA.
“Cold drink” is the phrase of choice in New Orleans LA.
At many restaurants in the US, the products of only a single major beverage producer, such as The Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo, are available. While patrons requesting a “coke” may be truly indifferent as to which cola brand they receive, the careful server will confirm intent with a question like “Is Pepsi ok?” Similarly, “7 Up” or “Sprite” may indicate whichever clear, carbonated, citrus-flavored drink happens to be at hand. The generic uses of these brand names does not affect the local usage of the words “pop” or “soda”, to mean any carbonated beverage.
Canada
“Pop” — English
“Une boisson gazeuse” — French
Soft drink in Australia.
Indecently Lemonade in the US was a completely different drink to the lemonade in Australia..
it's a rich tapestry and all that.
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Indecently Lemonade in the US was a completely different drink to the lemonade in Australia..
I suppose they were making it in the nude?
(Sorry - I try not to comment on tipostypos because I make so many myself.)