How to Make Lemon Slices? What's the Connection Between the Mafia and Coffee? Why is Sicily Rich in Lemons?

The Connection Between Lemons and the Mafia

Italy is not only the birthplace of espresso but also the cradle of the Mafia. Interestingly, there's a coffee-related dessert that has become associated with the Mafia! Due to its simplicity, deliciousness, and refreshing qualities, it once became the most beloved dessert among Mafia members—this is the Lemon Zest Slice!

The Historical Connection

What's the relationship between Lemon Zest Slice and the Mafia? This coffee dessert gained popularity through a Taiwanese variety show called "Kang Xi Lai Le," and although it's said to have some connection to the Italian Mafia, there are very few documented records. However, we can roughly deduce the truth through a piece of Sicilian history. Before the 19th century, lemons were mainly used for decoration and perfume ingredients. After all, such a yellow fruit with only a sour and astringent taste was something nobody wanted to experience with their taste buds.

It wasn't until the outbreak of scurvy that people realized the importance of lemons, and not just lemons—all citrus fruits. Because citrus fruits contain very rich vitamin C, citrus fruits including lemons became the most popular fruits in 19th-century Europe. Sicily, which originally produced wine, wheat, and olives, also began to cultivate lemons! Unsurprisingly, lemons created substantial cash income for Sicily many years later. However, the good times didn't last long. The huge profits from lemons attracted various criminal forces (thieves, robbers), so every night when lemons ripened, robbers and thieves would completely plunder the orchards, destroying farmers' years of hard work in an instant. Coincidentally, Sicily was under military occupation by mainland Italy at that time, and this background led to the birth of the Mafia. Gradually, Sicilian farmers began to hire the Mafia to protect their lemon orchards, which opened the association between lemons and the Mafia.

We can easily imagine how Lemon Zest Slice became associated with the Mafia and once became their favorite dessert. After all, when guarding lemons through long nights, having a refreshing and delicious dessert is essential. So next, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to make this Lemon Zest Slice!

How to Make Lemon Zest Slice

It's truly not clickbait—the preparation of Lemon Zest Slice is really, really simple! How simple? You can understand how to make it just by looking at its cover picture! Lemon slices, coffee powder, and sugar—just combine these ingredients together, and we can make delicious Lemon Zest Slice! Of course, more important than knowing how to make it is making it well! So there are still certain requirements for ingredient selection!

About Lemons

Many friends have a big misconception about lemons: they think the bitterness comes from the lemon peel! Actually, that's not true. The main source of bitterness in lemons is their seeds. So if we want to save trouble, we can choose seedless lemons when selecting them! And if we buy lemons with seeds, remember to remove them after slicing!

About Coffee Beans

We know that when a coffee bean is roasted lighter, its density becomes higher, and with higher density comes lower crispness—simply put, it's hard to bite, which is very unfriendly to friends with dental issues! So when preparing Lemon Zest Slice, it's best to choose dark roasted coffee beans. Not only are they crispier and easier to chew, but their bitterness will also form a clear contrast with other elements like lemon and sugar! (This applies even if making the powdered version~)

About Sugar

If you have brown sugar available, FrontStreet Coffee would recommend using brown sugar! Because brown sugar is sweeter and can add more layers to this dessert~ But if you don't have it, that's fine too—just add plenty of white sugar like FrontStreet Coffee does.

Preparation Steps

So let's see how FrontStreet Coffee makes it! First, we cut the lemon into moderately thin slices. They can't be too thick because lemon peel has an astringent taste, and too much astringency will affect the eating experience. They also can't be too thin, as overly thin lemons can easily be overwhelmed by the taste of coffee and sugar, so moderate thickness is perfect!

Then we sprinkle sugar and freshly ground dark roast coffee powder sequentially (you can also use coffee beans, but they're less convenient to eat). The coffee powder should be ground to the same coarseness as for regular hot brewing!

At this point, we can choose to eat directly and experience the most original deliciousness of the ingredients. Of course, we can also use a small technique to elevate its deliciousness to another level! For example, take out a kitchen torch and caramelize the sugar on the lemon surface to a golden brown color! (But you'll need to add coffee powder first, then sugar)

The Taste Experience

Really!!! Highly recommend trying this. With one bite, we can feel the elasticity of lemon fibers, the crispness of coffee, and the granular texture of caramel—just in terms of mouthfeel, we experience very diverse layers! Then comes the taste: after biting down, very full lemon juice bursts out, but the presence of large amounts of sugar neutralizes the strong acidity of the lemon, making it gentle and sweet. And here comes the finishing touch! When we chew the coffee powder, the slight burnt bitterness of the coffee forms a clear contrast with the sweet and sour lemon juice—it's prominent but not abrupt, which is truly amazing! Try making it at home quickly!

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473