CHALLENGE #42 - IFTAR - HONEY LEMON SHORBOT

[moetushie]

Every iftar begins with a nice shorbot! Or sharbat. Or sherbet. Whatever you call it, it's cooling drink with a long, colorful history. Lord Byron was a fan. Mughal emperors used to cool their sharbats with snow from the Himalayas. It's the originator of the lighter frozen treat, sherbet, and also the word 'syrup'. Shorbot! Is there anything it can't do?

Anyway, shorbot is drunk all year round, of course, but it's especially relevant during Ramadan because it's the first thing most people consume when breaking their fast. The saying goes that at the moment when iftar starts, a sigh goes around the world when people take a sip of their shorbot. I believe it.


Shorbot can be made with various fruit juices and flower petals, spices, and even a splash of vinegar. Shorbot made with Rooh Afza is pretty traditional among South Asian families and the disapora I don't personally care for it, because it just tastes like rose water to me -- it can be found in most Indian/Middle-eastern groceries. It's the tall, bright red bottle. Can't miss it.

But the shorbot recipes I'll share with you today have little in the way of rose water...


Here's the way my family usually makes their shorbot, and also a version that I want to try next week.

moetushie's family shorbot:

- 1 cup lime or lemon juice (lime is more traditional)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4-6 cups water (depending on how concentrated you want it -- and how many you're looking to serve)

Mix throughly and chill until needed. Add ice to glass and pour out.

Don't think about carbs. Drink, drink, drink.

Based on this recipe from Bon Appetit, I've reengineer a sherbet recipe!

Honey Lemon Shorbot:

- 3 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger (no garlic this time)
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 whole cloves (optional)
- pinch cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh lemon (or lime) juice
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- Ice water as needed

1. Combine first eight ingredients into a heavy bottom pot and put it on a simmer until liquid is reduced -- you're making a simple syrup here. Once syrup is reduced to approximately 2 cups, take off the heat and strain syrup with a fine mesh sieve. Let cool.

2. Transfer syrup into a nice pitcher and mix in juices and water to taste -- depending on how sweet you want it, you can vary the the amount of water. Chill in the fridge until needed.


It's tradition in my family -- and probably many others -- to have the youngest child to be the one to pour the shorbot. They get blessings and pats on the head for a job well done, and finally, finally, everyone gets to drink something sweet and cool, just the thing after a long, hot day of spiritual contemplation.

Comments

[kindkit]

Do you use superfine sugar in the family shorbot recipe? And if not, how do you get the sugar to dissolve?

Anyway, these both sound delicious.

[moetushie]

We just use regular granulated and stir really hard. There's going to be some sediment at the bottom but usually you can add more water and serve again. Alternatively, you can dissolve the sugar in a cup of hot water and go from there -- it's basically a simple lemonade (but usually with limes.)

Thank you!

[cosmolinguist]

Thanks for the link! As someone who just learned the Arabic for "to drink" a few weeks ago, it was fun to see how the name shorbot/sharbat/sherbet came from that. :)

[moetushie]

No problem! It really is. :3