![\"citron](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0E9CD5EA-66DA-459D-A2CB-E6D2A2F4E0E4_1_201_a.jpeg\")
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What are your go-to comforts when you\u2019ve caught a cold<\/a>? I go straight for tomato soup<\/a>; my husband likes mint tea. And my daughter? She gets French lemonade. Hear me out.<\/p>\n Anyone who\u2019s taken a sick kid to the pediatrician has heard the advice: don\u2019t stress about food; just keep them hydrated. The first time Margot got really sick (pneumonia at 18 months), the doctor firmly told me, \u201cAnything to keep her hydrated. Juice, Jell-O, ice cream, literally anything<\/em> with water content.\u201d I thought he was being dramatic, but I soon realized just how hard-headed a sick toddler can be. We really did try everything, and each tablespoon of liquid was a battle.<\/p>\n I remembered that advice one Saturday, a year later, when Margot had a regular old cold. The three of us were running errands and popped into a local French bakery, where I spotted lemon juice on the menu. Citron chaud<\/em>, rather \u2014 otherwise known as hot lemonade. The menu described it as the traditional French formula: fresh lemon juice, steamed, then cut with a dash of hot water and just dab of honey. In other words, a huge mug of very hot, very sour liquid. I looked at my droopy toddler \u2014 lips parched from another week of total disinterest in anything remotely hydrating \u2014 and I wondered if it might work.<\/p>\n Reader, she loved it. She practically choked on the first sour sip \u2014 then dove right back in. She loved it so much that, after steeling myself, I tried a taste. And instantly, I got the appeal. Citron chaud is bracing and warming \u2014 a pleasant jolt to the system. It somehow feels like taking a shot and<\/em> cozying up with a cup of tea. And sometimes it\u2019s just what the doctor ordered.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I make it at home:<\/p>\n Citron Chaud<\/strong> Add lemon juice to a saucepan, and set over a high heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from the burner and pour into mugs. You can either pour the whole thing into one large mug (or a small bowl<\/a>, if you want to be properly french about it), or divide it into two. Add 1\/4 cup of hot water, and stir in 1 tsp of honey until it dissolves.<\/em><\/p>\n Now, take a deep breath, and give it a taste. If it makes you shout, \u201cHoo-ah!\u201d like Al Pacino, then you\u2019ve made it correctly. If, after trying, you want to take it down a notch, then go ahead and add the other 1\/4 cup of water and second teaspoon of honey. But if you\u2019re up for it, I encourage you to try at least one cup at hoo-ah<\/em> level. It\u2019s like a good slap on the back, right when you really need one.<\/p>\n Do you have a sick-day drink or food? I\u2019d love to hear about your comforts or slap-on-the-back recipes!<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. Three more warm drinks for winter days<\/a>, and two ways to make chai<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Citron](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CitronChaud_08.jpg\")
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Serves 1-2
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-5 lemons, depending on size)
1\/4-1\/2 cup very hot water
1-2 tsp honey<\/p>\n