Seltz Limone e Sale (Seltzer with Lemon and Sea Salt)

A popular drink at many chioscos in Sicily, this simple Italian spritz is used to hydrate on hot days. In it, crisp and effervescent water is mixed with lemon juice and Sicilian sea salt. Harvested from the Mediterranean sea, this mineral-rich salt brings a clean, oceanlike flavor to the refreshing drink, says cookbook author Khushbu Shah. If you can’t find Sicilian sea salt, regular fine sea salt or kosher salt may also be used. Just know that you might miss out on some of the prized briny flavor.

"There is something about this drink — a seltz limone e sale — that is almost as medicinal as it is refreshing," says Shah. "Perhaps it’s the icy-cold temperature, the plethora of bubbles, the hint of salt, or how fresh the lemons are. But a few sips in, any painful fullness from dinner all but dissipates into a comfortable lull — something even a glass of the bitterest amaro isn’t always able to accomplish." Heads up, the drink does foam a bit when stirred!

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not the store-bought bottled stuff, for the best flavor. Sicilian sea salt is available at most specialty stores or online at spicewallabrand.com.