Vietnamese Nuoc Mia: Fresh Sugarcane Juice with Kumquat and Crushed Ice

If using fresh cane, rinse the peeled batons well and pass them through a sugarcane press or a sturdy juicer twice, running the spent fibers through a second time to extract the last of the juice.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 lb fresh sugarcane stalks, peeled and cut into 4-inch batons (or 3 cups bottled pure sugarcane juice)
• 10 ripe kumquats, halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 cup cold filtered water, if needed
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Crushed ice, for serving
• Extra kumquat halves, for garnish
• Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. If using fresh cane, rinse the peeled batons well and pass them through a sugarcane press or a sturdy juicer twice, running the spent fibers through a second time to extract the last of the juice.
2. Strain the juice through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into a jug to remove any pulp and fiber. You should have roughly 3 cups.
3. Squeeze 8 of the kumquat halves directly into the juice, then drop the spent skins in as well — the peel is where most of the perfume lives.
4. Add the lime juice and a pinch of salt, stir well, and let the mixture steep in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so the kumquat oils infuse.
5. Taste and thin with a little cold water if the juice is too intensely sweet; fresh cane varies a great deal by season.
6. Strain out the kumquat skins, then chill the juice thoroughly — sugarcane juice is at its best within a few hours of pressing and should be served ice cold.
7. Pack tall glasses to the rim with crushed ice and pour the juice over. Garnish with a fresh kumquat half and a sprig of mint.
8. Serve immediately with a straw, and stir as you drink so the melting ice keeps it bracing rather than syrupy.
9. Nước mía is the sound of a Vietnamese afternoon: a cart-mounted roller press squealing as stalks go through, kumquats tossed in whole so their peel oils ride along with the juice. That citrus is not optional — without it the drink is merely sweet, and with it the whole thing turns bright and almost floral. Cane is cut year-round in the Mekong Delta, but the drink belongs to the hottest part of the day, poured over more ice than seems reasonable and finished before it warms.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 43g
• Sodium: 35mg