Sharbat (Persian:شربت,pronounced[ʃæɾˈbæt]; also transliterated or written asshorbot,šerbet,şerbet orsherbet) is a drink prepared from fruit or flowerpetals.[1] It is a sweetcordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink.
Popularsharbats are made of one or more of the following:basil seeds,rose water, fresh rose petals,sandalwood,bael,hibiscus,lemon,orange,mango,pineapple,grape,falsa (Grewia asiatica) andchia seeds.
Sharbat is common in homes ofIran,Armenia,Turkey,Bosnia,Arab world,Afghanistan,Pakistan,Bangladesh andIndia. It is also popular with Muslims when breaking their dailyfasts during the month ofRamadan.[2][3]
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The term comes from the Persian wordsharbat (شربت),[4] meaning a drink of sugar and water. This in turn came from theArabic wordshariba, "to drink".[5] By the lateMiddle Ages, theArabic wordsharāb (شراب) had come to mean "alcoholic beverage" and the alternate form sharbāt (شربات) and itsPersian andTurkish variations,sharbat (شربت), andşerbet respectively, took on the meaning of a sweet non-alcoholic beverage.[6]
It is believed that sharbats originated inIran (Persia).[6][7][8][9][10][11] Several syrups are listed in the 11th-centuryCanon of Medicine by Persian writerIbn Sīnā.[12] In the 12th century,Persian book ofZakhireye Khwarazmshahi,Gorgani describes different types of Sharbats inIran, including Ghoore, Anar, Sekanjebin, etc.
The first Western mention of sharbat is an Italian reference to something thatTurks drink. The word enters Italian assorbetto which becomessorbet in French. In the 17th-century, England began importing "sherbet powders" made from dried fruit and flowers mixed with sugar. In the modern erasherbet powder is still popular in theUK. A contemporaryEnglish writer traveling in the Middle East wrote of "sundry sherbets … some made of sugar and lemons, some of violets, and the like." When Europeans figured out how tofreeze sherbet they began makingsorbetto by adding fruit juices and flavorings to a frozen simple syrup base. In the US sherbet generally meant an ice milk, but recipes from early soda fountain manuals include ingredients like gelatin, beaten egg whites, cream, or milk.[6]
Sharbat was traditionally made withcane juice, but in modern times it is commonly made at home with sugar and water. Lime is sometimes added to improve the texture and flavor of the sharbat.[13] Honey is also commonly used as a sweetener. Sharbet comes in many flavors including lemon, pomegranate, quince, strawberry, cherry, orange, rose, orange blossom, tamarind, mulberry and violet.[6] One sharbat recorded in the 19th-century cookbook byFriedrich Unger is calledgülgülü tiryaki şerbet which means "pink opium-eater's sherbet".[14]
Tamarind sherbet is a popular non-alcoholic beverage in Muslim countries that is commonly prepared duringRamadan. In Turkey tamarind sherbet, calleddemirhindi şerbeti, might be flavored withcloves,cardamom, freshginger, acinnamon stick,honey,sage and driedlinden flowers.[15][16] InUrdu, tamarind is calledimli and is commonly paired with dried plums (aaloo bukhara).[17]
Almond sherbet is probably of Persian origin[18] and can be spiced withcardamom andkewra.[19] Another version of almond sherbet is made with milk andsaffron andmusk melon seeds are sometimes added.[20][21]
Wood apple sharbat can be flavored with salt, pepper andmentha or simply sugar andlemon juice.[22] Calledbael ka sharbat it is one of the most popular beverages inIndia and was discussed in the 1894Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales.[23][24] Another sharbat variation from India is made with powderedsandalwood (chandan) and sugared milk.[25]Phalsa berries are another base for some varieties of south Asian sherbet.[26] Some sour sharbet variations might make use of citrus fruits, tamarind, oraamla berries. An Indian lemonade callednimbu pani is made with fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice with additional flavorings like ginger, mint, saffron, kewra or even crushed black pepper.[27]
Vetiver sherbet (khus syrup) can be made by addingkhus essence to sugar and water. Thekhus essence itself is made from the roots of vetiver grass. Vetiver sherbet can be used as a flavoring for milkshakes,lassi and other yogurt drinks, ice cream,Shirley Temples and other mixed beverages. It can also be used as a general purpose dessert topping.[28][29]
The most common sharbat flavor is probablyrose.[13] Rose sharbat can be used as a topping for the milk puddingmuhallebi. One Turkish method of making rose sharbat involves kneading fresh rose petals with a littlecitric acid or sugar to release their fragrance. (If sugar is used the petals are left in the fridge overnight and a small amount of lemon juice is added the following day.) This petal mixture is calledgül mayası and can be added to a sharbat base of sugar and water to make a rose sharbat topping that can be used to flavor desserts likemuhallebi, and other cookies and cakes.[30]
Many Ottoman Muslims did not have a custom of consuming or serving alcoholic beverages, which contributed to the popularity of sherbet during theMiddle Ages. Sherbet could take three forms: syrups, pastes calledçevirme and tablets. Ottoman confectioners would create concentrated essences out of fresh ingredients that could be diluted to make sherbet. In modern times, sherbet production has declined but in some regions of Turkey syrups are still made. Pastes are rare and can only be found in speciality shops; most commercially available pastes today are limited tobergamot ormastic flavors. Tablets were a specialty item, even during Ottoman Times, made only by confectioner's in professional shops. To make the tablets, fruit juices and essential oils, likerose orcinnamon, were added to boiling sugared water and stirred against the sides of the pan until the sugar began to crystallize. Spices, ground nuts, and herbs might be added to the mixture, which was poured onto a large marble slab and allowed to set.[31]
In the 19th-century Isaac Edrehi wrote about a shopkeep named Mustafa who made two types of beverages called sherbet and khoshâb:[32]
One of the dainties on the happy mixture of which Hadjy Mustafa prides himself is khoshâb. This beverage, though nearly related to, must not be confounded with, sherbet. The latter is slightly acidulated, and in general made of fresh lemon,quince, orange orcherry juice, or of candied grapes, mulberries, andDamascus plums, squeezed or diluted in cold water, and thus drank at all hours. But the khoshâb (agreeable water) forms the termination of all orthodox dinners, and is composed of preserved fruits or syrups, such as Aidin pomegranates, Mardin plums, Damascus and Bokhara apricots, Rodosto peaches, Scala Nuova cherries, Beybek strawberries, Adrianople roses, tamarinds, and so forth."
The Ottoman writerEvliya Çelebi records that the Merchants of Khoshâb inOttoman Egypt made khoshâb, which he calls "a kind of sherbet", from "the juice of the most excellent fruits, such as apricots of Bokhara, plums of Mardin, pears of Azerbaijan, mulberries of Arabguir, grapes of Smyrna, sour cherries (aigriottes) of Rodosto, apples of Koja Ili, prunes of Temesvar, and peaches of Constantinople." According to this account thekhoshâb is flavored with "amber and musk". He goes on to describe a different group of sherbet-merchants whose shops are decorated with "many thousand cups and bowls of China and Fayence, which are filled with sherbet, made of rhubarb, roses, lemons, lotus, tamarinds and grapes."[33]
The 15th-century Ottoman poem bySüleyman Çelebi wrote: "As I burned with raging thirst, They handed me a glass of sherbet" describing how the Islamic prophetMuhammad's mother was given a glass of sherbet while she was in labor.[34] When a woman in Anatolia gives birth it is still customary to offer a hot sherbet calledlohusa şerbeti to guests.[31][35]
Common sharbat flavors include tamarind,pomegranate,black mulberry, sour grape,licorice,morello cherry, rose, honey.[36] One version uses fresh purplewisteria flowers. The petals are soaked in water for a full day and then strained throughcheesecloth. The petals are bundled in the cheesecloth and their highly fragranced liquid is also squeezed into the bowl containing the scented water. Sugar is added and the sugared mixture is allowed to rest overnight.[37]
A simple sherbet of lemon,citric acid and water, without additional spices, is callednişan şerbeti or "betrothal sherbet" inTurkish and is traditionally served at engagement ceremonies.[38] Some versions of lemon sherbet may be optionally flavored with honey and cloves.[39] A similar sherbet flavored with cloves and lemon juice can also be made with freshpeaches.[40] Green apple and cinnamon is another possible flavor combination.[41] One recipe for "Ottoman sherbet" calls for sugared sour cherries, dried plums, golden raisins, fresh ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks to be simmered together.[42]
Sharbat was introduced toIndia by theMughals in the 16th century.[27] It was popularised in theIndian subcontinent byBabur, who sent for frequent loads of ice from theHimalayas to make a cool refreshing drink.[43]
Cherbet (Arabic: شربات), also known as orcharbet mazhar, is a traditional Algerian drink. In Algerian weddings, the bride drinks a large quantity of this traditional beverage and then offers it to her female guests after the hammam ritual, along with brioche pastries called kâak bouchkara.[44][45][46]
Its origin comes from the Algiers region, specifically from the city of Algiers. Its name comes from Algerian Arabic and means "drink made from orange blossom water.[44]
It is a syrup made of water, fresh cinnamon, a large amount of orange blossom water, and sugar according to taste.[46]
AnIndonesian, especiallyJavanese, drink calledserbat is commonly found during the month ofRamadan. The most popular is made by mixing cold water, simple syrup, and shredded cantaloupe, popularly known asserbat blewah or cantaloupe sherbet.[47]
The word sherbet derives from the Persian sharbat, an iced fruit drink; iced desserts were introduced to the West via the Middle East. In the late 20th century there was a revival of the practice of serving a tart sherbet or sorbet between the courses of an elaborate meal to refresh the palate.
Sharbat is a fruit syrup. Origin: Persia
It is believed that Arabs who had conquered Persian Empire at the time took the age-old Persian refreshment called Sharbat and enriched the existing mix of fruit syrup and snow chilled honey with milk and sugar. This was the conception of the modern day granita and gelato.
The ancient Persians created a delicious and cooling concoction called sharbat
Sharbat is a soft drink with Persian origins
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