
Middle Eastern · 15 min · Easy · 8 glasses
Rose and Lemon Sharbat
A pale, fragrant cordial of lemon, sugar and rose water, diluted to order. Floral and cold and old-fashioned, and it keeps for weeks.
~110 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.
Method
- 1
Make the syrup
⏱ 5 minWarm the water with the sugar and the bruised cardamom pods in a pot, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it bubble for 5 minutes to thicken very slightly, then take it off the heat.
- 2
Cool, then add the delicate things
Let the syrup cool to lukewarm before stirring in the lemon juice and the rose water. Added to boiling syrup, rose water cooks off and turns soapy.
- 3
Strain and bottle
Strain out the cardamom pods and pour the cordial into a clean bottle or jar. It will be a clear pale pink.
- 4
Serve diluted
To serve, pour a generous splash into a glass and top with cold water and ice — roughly one part cordial to four parts water. Adjust to taste.
Notes
Rose waters vary enormously in strength; start with one tablespoon, taste the diluted drink, then decide. Too much and it goes straight from floral to bath products. The cordial keeps a month in the fridge in a sealed bottle.