Friends, summertime is upon us. So me and few other Persian Food Bloggers have come up with the idea of what would you bring to a Persian summer potluck. Truth be told, no picnic or summertime affair is complete without a refreshing drink. I prefer my drinks non-alcoholic, but if you prefer to add some excitement to your drink, be my guest I wont stop you. I’m going to fill you in on a little secret about my Persian brethren, we LOVE the illusion of healthy food.
In theory all of our food is healthy, but with the portion size and sheer food pushing that is put on you at any Persian dinner table there’s no way your waistline can survive. This all leads me to the magical elixir called sharbat which is the precursor to sorbet, basically it’s a simple fruit syrup that Persians make and then dilute with water and ice. It’s served to guests who’ve come in from a long hot day and they need something to change the taste of their mouth. The illusion of sharbat is that it’s fruit, but let’s be real it’s sugar syrup with a fruit taste. BUT HEY I’M OKAY WITH THAT IF YOU ARE! Sugar fruit!
So the standard Persian sharbat is albaloo which I’ve covered on the blog, today I’m going a little outside the box. I give you Sharbat-e-Kumquat so shocker, Kumquats are not native to Persian cuisine. But they really should Persian, even if you think about them just from an aesthetic standpoint. They’re these beautiful, colorful, bites that are a little sweet, sour, and bitter.
I mean I’ve literally just described the psychological profile of most Persian men and women! But it’s a fruit!
The kumquat is perfect for desserts where you want to build a sweet and sour flavor profile that goes beyond something like a lemon or lime. Plus the unreal orange citrus aromatic flavor that it delivers makes it a one of a kind.
Kumquats are PERFECT for a sharbat, they give the syrup this wonderful citrus flavor but they don’t require as much effort, plus you can leave the kumquats in the syrup for a delicious sweet, tangy, crunchy bite at the end of your drink.
To quote the great ME, “They bring a ridiculous aroma to your dessert. Kumquats are native to south Asia and the Pacific. Kumquats have a nice little bit of Vitamin C to go along with other vitamins and minerals.”
You know I couldn’t of said it better myself.
This syrup is perfect for summer parties, instead of boring old lemonade, make this and wow your friends.
Recipe – Sharbat-e-Kumquat
Ingredients
1 Cup of Chopped Kumquats (Just chopped in half length wise)
2 Cups of Sugar
4 Cups of Water
2 Tsp. Rose Water
Method
Step 1 – In a large pot, pour in kumquats, sugar, water, and rose water.
Step 2- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer as concoction reduces down.
Step 3- Once a syrup begins to form (about an hour, but keep an eye on it because sugar can go from syrup to thick sticky preserve quickly), remove from heat.
Step 4- Pour the mixture into a large enough jar that the kumquats can fit in as well and refrigerate, keeps up to a few months.
*When serving, in a large glass, add ice cubes, then pour syrup with kumquats over ice cubes, and finally pour water over the ice and syrup mixture. Serve with a tall spoon to allow your guest to stir it to their desired level of consistency.
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- 1 Cup of Chopped Kumquats (Just chopped in half length wise)
- 2 Cups of Sugar
- 4 Cups of Water
- 2 Tsp. Rose Water
- Step 1 – In a large pot, pour in kumquats, sugar, water, and rose water.
- Step 2- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer as concoction reduces down.
- Step 3- Once a syrup begins to form (about an hour, but keep an eye on it because sugar can go from syrup to thick sticky preserve quickly), remove from heat.
- Step 4- Pour the mixture into a large enough jar that the kumquats can fit in as well and refrigerate, keeps up to a few months.
- *When serving, in a large glass, add ice cubes, then pour syrup with kumquats over ice cubes, and finally pour water over the ice and syrup mixture. Serve with a tall spoon to allow your guest to stir it to their desired level of consistency.
