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Sharbat-e bidmeshk (willow blossom sherbet)
شربت بیدمشک: a light sugar syrup scented with musk-willow distillate, diluted over ice on hot Kashan afternoons
Kashan and the villages of Qamsar and Niasar are famous for distilling flowers in spring: rose water in May, and before that araq-e bidmeshk, the distillate of the fuzzy catkins of the musk willow. In summer, when the desert heat settles over the old houses, the same bottles go into sharbat-e bidmeshk, a pale syrup diluted with icy water and served to guests in tall glasses, sometimes with swollen basil seeds. It is traditionally drunk to calm the nerves and cool the body. The taste is delicate, sweet and haunting, somewhere between honeysuckle, musk and fresh hay. The common mistake is adding the distillate to hot syrup; the heat drives the scent away within minutes, so cool the syrup completely first. The syrup is ready when it is clear and pours like thin honey, and the finished sherbet should smell floral the moment you lift the glass. Look for the distillate in Iranian shops; there is no true substitute, though rose water with a few drops of orange-blossom water makes a pleasant but different drink. Chef's tip: a squeeze of lemon in the syrup stops it crystallising in the fridge, where it keeps for a month.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 14 oz white sugar
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
To serve
- 6 ¾ cups iced waterabout 200 ml per glass
- 16 ice cubes (optional)
- 2 tbsp basil seeds (tokhm-e sharbati) (optional)soaked 15 minutes in 100 ml water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 14 oz white sugar and 1 ¼ cups water in a pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear.
3 minStep 2: Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and simmer gently, without stirring, for 6–7 minutes until the syrup is slightly thickened and pours like thin honey.
7 minStep 3: Take off the heat and leave until completely cold, about 30 minutes; it must not feel even warm on your finger.
30 minStep 4: Stir in ¾ cup musk willow distillate (araq-e bidmeshk) and pour into a clean, dry bottle. Keep in the fridge for up to a month.
2 minStep 5: For each glass, stir 3–4 tbsp of syrup into 200 ml of 6 ¾ cups iced water, add 16 ice cubes and a spoon of 2 tbsp basil seeds (tokhm-e sharbati), and serve straight away.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sharbat-e bidmeshk (willow blossom sherbet) take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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