Lemon Stick

Ingredients:
1 lemon
4 peppermint candy cane sticks

Directions:
Carefully cut a hole in the oval side of whole lemon, insert the peppermint stick, and suck!
JR and I came across this treat during our excursion to Baltimore, at the suggestion of Frommer's. That was how my lemon stick, priced at $1.25, was served, at The Oasis, famous for italian ices and lemon sticks. Not what we expected, really. I myself imagined it as a lemon flavored stick candy, or maybe something resembling those wonderful lemonheads. And nothing I imagined would have made it a spectacular local treat. But, we dipped the stick into the lemon, and it was sweet and minty! The acid melts away the peppermint to give an interesting but delicious juice.

According to the NY Times, and many other sources, however, "the proper way to eat this is to suck on the peppermint stick, allowing the lemon juice to mingle with its sweetness." This method has been tried and tested, since the origins of the lemon stick came to be at the annual Flowermart in Baltimore. As it nears the winter holidays this year, I intend to experiment and see how peppermint sticks mix with limes, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, and pumelo. Do try it yourself!