Bel Sharbat

Ingredients

Fruit

• 1ripe wood apple, bel
• or 300 g bel pulp
• 1 litrecold water

To sweeten

• 6 tablespoonssugar, or to taste
• or 4 tablespoons molasses, gur
• a pinch of salt

Sometimes added

• juice of 1 lime
• a few mint leaves
• a pinch of ground cumin

To serve

• plenty of ice
• tall glasses

Directions

1. Let it ripen at room temperature for several days if needed. Opening the fruit takes real force. Wrap the fruit in a cloth first. Work on a good sturdy surface. It should crack open in a few blows.
2. Take care, since the shell can shatter unexpectedly. Scoop the orange sticky pulp out with a spoon. Those must all be removed entirely. Put the pulp into a large bowl. Pour over about half the cold water. Leave it to soak for fifteen minutes. Working it is done entirely by hand.
3. Put both of your hands into the bowl. Squeeze and rub the softened pulp between your fingers. Work it steadily for several minutes. Keep working until the seeds feel bare.
4. Pour the whole mixture through a sieve. Press the pulp through with the back of a ladle. Discard the seeds and fibrous strands entirely. Strain it a second time for a smoother drink. Add the remaining water to the strained pulp.
5. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves completely. Add the pinch of salt, which lifts the fruit. Add lime juice if you want it sharper. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be thin enough to drink easily.
6. Add more water if it seems too thick. Add more pulp if it tastes thin and watery. Cover the jug and refrigerate it. Give it at least two full hours.
7. Stir the jug thoroughly before pouring. Pour it into tall glasses filled with ice. Add a fresh mint leaf if you like. It keeps two days refrigerated. Stir it well before each serving.

Technique

• The wood apple, Aegle marmelos, is used across South Asia both as a food and in traditional medicine.
• This entry records that traditional use as a fact about the fruit rather than as a health claim.

Substitutions

• Frozen bel pulp is sold in South Asian shops and saves cracking the shell.
• Molasses in place of sugar gives a darker and more traditional drink.

Variations

• Some households add milk to make a richer drink.
• A version with lime and salt alone is drunk as a savoury cooler.
• Bel murabba, the fruit preserved in syrup, is another common preparation.

History

A Bangladeshi hot-season and iftar drink; the fruit is also taken as a folk remedy for the stomach.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bel Sharbat?

Bel Sharbat is a drink from Bangladesh: wood apple pulp beaten with water, sugar and ice into a fragrant cooler. A Bangladeshi hot-season and iftar drink; the fruit is also taken as a folk remedy for the stomach.

How long does Bel Sharbat take to make?

Bel Sharbat takes 20 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bel Sharbat?

Yes, within limits. Frozen bel pulp is sold in South Asian shops and saves cracking the shell. Molasses in place of sugar gives a darker and more traditional drink.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bel Sharbat?

Take care, since the shell can shatter unexpectedly. Scoop the orange sticky pulp out with a spoon. Those must all be removed entirely. Put the pulp into a large bowl. Pour over about half the cold water. Leave it to soak for fifteen minutes. Working it is done entirely by hand.