Lemon sticks are a type of
stick candy. They are similar to
candy cane
A candy cane is a Walking stick, cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide as well as Saint Nicholas Day. The canes are traditionally white with red Stripe (pattern), stripes and flavored with peppermint, but the canes also com ...
s and
peppermint sticks except
lemon oil and acids are used for the flavoring. The coloring is typically a transuclent yellow body and white stripe. They are not the same as a lemon peppermint stick, otherwise known as a Baltimore lemon stick.
Since 1942,
Giambri's is one of the candy makers that produces them.
Baltimore lemon stick
In
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, part of the
culture of Baltimore is a summer rite of passage associated with the
Baltimore Flower Mart where lemon sticks (also referred to as lemon peppermint sticks) are a treat in the form of a
peppermint
Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...
candy stick stuck in a
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...
. Eaten together, they provide a sweet and sour taste sensation. The tradition may have come from France.
They are sold at the mid-spring Flower Mart held by the
Women's Civic League.
These simple 'drinks' are made by cutting the top off a small lemon, cutting a hole into the flesh, and placing a soft peppermint stick into it. Sucking on the stick and squeezing the lemon produces a sweet, minty, lemony drink. While mostly sold at Flower Mart, throughout summer, people in Baltimore will make these treats at home or social gatherings.
See also
*
Candy stick
*
Polkagris
References
Candy
Lemon dishes
Cuisine of Baltimore
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