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Sharbat Sekanjabin

A refreshing sweet-and-sour Persian syrup to be diluted in ice-cold water.

Ingredients

3 cups water
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups white-wine vinegar
6 sprigs of fresh mint, washed

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring the water to the boil with the sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and submerge the sprigs of mint in the syrup. The flavor of the mint will penetrate the syrup as it cools. Remove the mint, and pour into clean bottles.

    Step 2

    To serve, stir 5 tablespoons syrup into each glass of iced water (or water and ice cubes).

  2. Variation

    Step 3

    Sometimes a little peeled and grated cucumber is added when serving, and a mint leaf is used to garnish.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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