Mojito recipe is one of the most popular cocktail around the world. The popularity of the drink mojito lies in the ingredients blend which offer a refreshing and tasteful drink with a prefect balance.
Let’s get to know more about this delicious drink.
Origins of drink mojito
Cuba, the beautiful island of the Caribbean, is well-known for its abundant natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and delicious food.
It is from Cuba that the famous mojito cocktail originates.
It is said that the first version of mojito recipe was made at the end of the 16th century by renowned privateer Richard Drake, who was Captain Francis Drake’s underling. Richard used aguardiente (raw rum), sugar, lime, mint, and other herbs.
It is said that the captain was enjoying the drink mojito after the battles, while counting the gold coins that were part of his coveted loot.
In 1860, when rum production was more refined and aged, resulting in a better quality drink, it replaced aguardiente, and what was known in Cuba as draquecito was renamed mojito.
During the 1920s and 1930s, during American Prohibition, many United States citizens traveled about 150 kilometers from Key West to Cuba, where they could drink to their heart’s content.
Among them was Hemingway, who became a fervent spokesperson for the mojito, who said “My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita.”
Currently, La Bodeguita del Medio is a mandatory stop for every tourist visiting Havana.
Mojito ingredients
The ingredients of the mojito recipe are the ingredients that were available at that time in the island of cuba where the drink was invented. Since then the mojito ingredients have not changed much.
Rum
Everywhere rum is produced, the basic steps in the process are the same. Common procedures include harvesting sugar cane, grinding it to extract the sweet juice, and then either sending the sweet juice straight to a distillery (for “agricole” rum) or to a sugar refinery to turn it into molasses before sending it to the distillery (for “traditional” rum). Molasses and virgin sugar cane juice (vésou) are fermented at the distillery. Next, the fermented product is distilled using various types of stills, such as multiple-column stills, column stills, pot stills, or coffee stills. To create fine aged rums, the distilled alcohol is either kept in wooden barrels, primarily made of oak, or in stainless steel tanks for white rum. Prestigious aged rums undergo extensive aging, grading, and blending processes that encompass a vast array of techniques and classifications. Comparing aged rum from various brands can therefore be challenging.
India was the first place where sugar cane was fermented, and it was first cultivated in New Guinea around 350 BC. But back then, the main purpose of these fermented beverages was medicinal. Time travel to the 1400s, when the world’s trade routes were being established by the explorers we all studied in elementary school. The discovery of isolated islands coincided with the discovery of an ideal climate for sugar cane cultivation. Like the spices of the era, sugar was highly prized on the trade route, but it also required a lot of labor and water.
Lime
Lime is a fundamental ingredient of mojito recipe. Let’s know more about this little yet tasty and healthy fruit. Lime is a small fruit of the citrus family which is native to India. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a lemon picked before maturity, but a different fruit which always remains green.
The lime is a fruit the same size (approximately) as a ping-pong ball. Its bark is smooth and more or less dark green, and its acidic, juicy and fragrant flesh is a very pale green. Depending on the variety, it contains more or fewer seeds.
How to choose good limes?
To choose good limes, they must be very firm.They should feel “heavy,” which indicates they contain a lot of juice.The skin should be thin and shiny.
Plus, unless you want to use them to decorate a dish, small brown spots on the bark are not a sign of aging.
How to store limes?
Limes will keep for about a week at room temperature. To keep them longer, it is recommended to place them in the refrigerator, in a container filled with water. It is possible to juice the fruit and store the juice (for example, in ice cube trays) in the freezer for several months. The zest can also be frozen and used for cakes or pie preparation!
Benefits of lime
Lime is a very good source of vitamin C: a medium lime contains 22% of the recommended daily value. This vitamin has several roles, among others:
it is antioxidant, it stimulates the immune system, it helps with healing. Moreover, it helps with the absorption of plant-based iron, it is involved in the formation of collagen.
Lime is rich in antioxidants, such as flavonoids and quercetin. Quercetin, os well known to reduce the occurrence of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. This small green citrus fruit also contains a little vitamin B6 and potassium. Lime is also said to have an antibacterial and antifungal effect.
Be careful though, for people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux. They should avoid consuming limes (as well as other citrus fruits), to reduce inflammation and the symptoms of this disease.
Sugar
It is better to use brown sugar, but any type of sugar will do. If you prefer you can even use sugar cane syrup, in that case add more quantity to the mojito recipe. It is important to crush well the the lime, mint leaves and sugar so that the crystals of the sugar can blend well into the mixture.
Mint leaves
Spearmint has been cultivated since ancient times. It was used by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians not only in cooking but also in medicine and rituals. Its scientific name, Mentha spicata, evokes its thorny appearance (“spicata” meaning “pointed” in Latin). Through the ages, spearmint has traveled, establishing itself as a valuable culinary and medicinal herb in many cultures around the world.
Beyond its culinary use, spearmint offers many health benefits. It is known to aid digestion, relieve headaches, and act as a natural relaxant. Spearmint also has antioxidant properties and may help improve oral health. Incorporating spearmint regularly into your diet is therefore a tasty way to promote your well-being.
FYI: the virtues of the different products are given to you for information purposes only, this in no way replaces the advice of a health professional.
How to make a mojito?
First of all choose good quality products. Then prepare all your ingredients, cut the lime, optionally crush the ice cubes.
Then take a big glass First of all place the lime, the sugar, and the mint leaves in a glass. Well crush the ingredients with a cocktail muddler. This way you will get the juice out of the lime, the flavors out of the meant leaves and blend the sugar into the mixture. Then add the crushed ice, and pour the the rum. Finish by filling up the glass with mineral water.
Some More Interesting Recipes –
Beverages – With Alcohol
Beverages – Non Alcohol
- Pink Lemonade Recipe
- Lemonade Recipe
- Golden Milk Recipe
- Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
- Mango Lassi Recipe
Mojito recipe
You love mojitos and wanna try to prepare this drink yourself? You will see this mojito recipe is so easy to make, and you'll get a perfectly blended and balanced mojito. Let's start!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the sugar, lemon cut into pieces/slices and 3 mint leaves in a high glass.
With a cocktail muddler, press to crush lemon, release all the flavor of the mint and mix the the sugar with the juice.
Add the ice, and pour the rum. Fill the rest of the glass with mineral water (Adjust the water quantity to your glass).
- Mix well, relax and enjoy!
