Go green this summer and reach for refreshing limes. The sweltering heat of summer calls out for some refreshing Vietnamese-inspired lime beverages that are bursting with citrus freshness.

High in Vitamin C, limes are a gourmet treat for enhancing an array of dishes, ranging from seafood and meats to sauces and dressings. Because limes flourish in tropical, humid and hot environment, their presence is commonly found in the cuisines of tropical countries.

Limes are a necessity in every Vietnamese kitchen where their tart, aromatic and floral flavors brighten up everyday Vietnamese dishes. Aside from use in food, limes are essential for a traditional drink called Soda Chanh Muoái, salted soda limeade.

Unlike the usual yellow lemonade that reigns popular as the beverage of choice in America, Vietnamese salted limes are a unique and salty/sweet/sour/pungent counterpart to add to your summer’s beverage list.

All you need is a clean, sterile jar, salted water, limes, a nice outdoor space and about two weeks of warm love from the sun, and you’ve got a jar of preserved lime joy that can quench your thirst when you need it most. It’s the heat from the sun and the light of sun rays that transforms the green limes into a soft preserved ingredient that is the heart of Soda Chanh Muối.

Normally added to club soda, ice and a little sugar, the crushed brined limes add a salty, contrasting element to a refreshing beverage.

Sipping a salty inspired drink might be a little foreign to the taste buds, so chanh muối might take a little getting used to. But once you familiarize yourself to the complex flavors of a cold glass of chanh muối, it can satisfy your thirst and provide the icy cold accompaniment to savory and spicy dishes.

Cam Thuyết, a cooking instructor based in Sài Gòn, says that salted lime beverages are not only popular in Vietnam but commonly are found throughout Asia. On her Internet food site column, www.nguoivienxu.vietnamnet.vn, she says that the use of brined lime beverages is popular in India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia, where pickling fruit is universally practiced.

If you’re not as daring and want to still explore the world of Việt lime beverages without the brine and salt, there’s always the classic Vietnamese limeade soda, simply called, soda chanh.

Even with the foreign flavors of salt, the fresh squeezed juices of limes makes for this simple, tropical alternative to lemonade that is both sweet and bubbly. The presence of limeade is becoming increasingly popular as limes’ green color is attractive, vibrant and fresh.

So for your next summer gathering, Vietnamese-inspired lime beverages are perfect to cool the taste buds for those hot days. They’re unique, refreshing and satisfying.