Lemon Peppermint Sticks
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Quick Bite
A Baltimore lemon peppermint stick is a halved lemon with a soft peppermint stick pushed into it like a straw. You suck the lemon juice through the candy, and somehow tart lemon plus melting peppermint becomes springtime magic.
History
The lemon peppermint stick is one of Baltimore’s most charming food traditions. It is strongly tied to Flower Mart, the spring festival held around Mount Vernon Place, which began in 1911.
The treat is extremely simple: cut a lemon, make a small hole in the flesh, insert a soft peppermint stick, squeeze, and sip. The lemon juice travels through the porous candy, slowly turning sweet, sour, minty, sticky, and refreshing.
No single inventor is firmly established. Some stories suggest European roots, while others simply treat it as a Baltimore Flower Mart tradition that grew through repetition, nostalgia, and local affection.
Today, lemon peppermint sticks are not an everyday restaurant dessert. They are festival food, backyard food, school fundraiser food, and “you know you’re in Baltimore” food.
Fun Facts
- It is more like a drinkable candy-lemon than a dessert.
- The peppermint stick needs to be soft and porous so the lemon juice can travel through it.
- Flower Mart reportedly sells thousands of lemon sticks during the festival.
Where to Try
The iconic place to try the classic lemon peppermint stick during Baltimore’s spring festival.
The treat often appears at school events, garden parties, church fairs, and neighborhood gatherings.
About the Game
This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.
Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash: Wash the lemons.
- Cut: Cut each lemon in half around the middle.
- Make a hole: Use a small knife or skewer to make a hole in the cut side of each lemon half.
- Add peppermint: Push one soft peppermint stick into each lemon half.
- Sip: Squeeze the lemon gently and suck through the peppermint stick.
- Refresh if needed: Add a second peppermint stick if the first one collapses or melts too quickly.
