By ERICA MARTINEZ
Exploding Lemonade Is A Naples Street Food Custom
In Naples, Italy, various street vendors offer limonata a cosce aperte, a refreshing, non-alcoholic post-meal digestif that translates to "open legs lemonade" in English.
Once the vendor adds baking soda to freshly squeezed lemon juice and soda water and gives it a stir, the drink must be consumed rapidly as it quickly starts to foam and erupt.
The erupting lemonade splashes everything below the belt, including feet and pants, which is why drinkers bend at the hips with their legs spread wide as they chug the drink.
When mixed, the lemon’s citric acid, the sparkling water, and the sodium bicarbonate form an antacid-like reaction. Made with lemons from Sorrento, Italy, its taste is unique, too.
To make the drink, vendors use a juicer with sharp cutters that puncture the lemon skins, releasing flavorful lemon oil. The flavor stays sharply lemony as no sweeteners are added.