Ingredients
Cordial
- 600 gcaster sugar
- 700 mlwater
- 350 mlfreshly squeezed lemon juice (about 10 lemons)
- pared zest of 3 unwaxed lemons, in wide strips
- 3 tbsporange-flower water
- 1 tspcitric acid (optional, for keeping)
To serve
- cold still water or sparkling water, to dilute
- plenty of ice
- thin lemon slices
- a few fresh mint leaves or geranium leaves
Directions
- Put the sugar, water and pared lemon zest in a saucepan and stir over low heat until every grain of sugar has dissolved, before the syrup reaches a boil.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes without stirring, until the syrup runs from a spoon in a thin thread and has thickened just slightly; do not let it colour.
- Take the pan off the heat, cover and leave the zest to infuse for 20 minutes as the syrup cools to lukewarm.
- Strain out the zest, then stir in the lemon juice and the citric acid if using. Adding the juice off the heat keeps the flavour fresh rather than cooked.
- Cool the syrup completely, then stir in the orange-flower water; add it last and off the heat, because its perfume is volatile and boils away.
- Taste and adjust: the concentrate should be aggressively sweet and sharp at once, since it will be cut with three or four parts water.
- Bottle in sterilised bottles and chill for at least 4 hours. It keeps three weeks in the fridge, longer with the citric acid.
- To serve, pour one part cordial to three or four parts iced water into a tall jug, add ice, lemon slices and mint, and pour into small glasses; it must be served genuinely cold, straight from the fridge.
Technique
- Orange-flower water varies enormously in strength. Start with two tablespoons, taste diluted, then add more; too much turns the drink soapy and there is no way back.
- Cherbet is a celebration drink in Algeria, poured at weddings, circumcisions and to break the fast at Ramadan, which is why it is made in large jugs and served very sweet.
- Pare the zest with a peeler and take no white pith, which turns the syrup bitter over the infusion.
Substitutions
- No fresh lemons: bottled lemon juice works for the body of the drink, but keep the pared zest from at least one real lemon for the aroma.
- Honey can replace up to a third of the sugar, giving a darker, more Kabyle-tasting cordial.
Variations
- Cherbet bel ward swaps the orange-flower water for rose water, common in Tlemcen.
- A red version is coloured and flavoured with hibiscus or pomegranate juice.
- Some households add a stick of cinnamon to the infusing syrup for winter weddings.
History
Poured for guests at Algerian weddings and circumcision parties, and at the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cherbet?
Cherbet is a drink from Algeria: sweet lemon cordial perfumed with orange-flower water, served very cold. Poured for guests at Algerian weddings and circumcision parties, and at the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
How long does Cherbet take to make?
Cherbet takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min plus 4 hr chilling of cooking. The recipe makes about 1.5 litres of cordial, enough for 12 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Cherbet?
Yes, within limits. No fresh lemons: bottled lemon juice works for the body of the drink, but keep the pared zest from at least one real lemon for the aroma. Honey can replace up to a third of the sugar, giving a darker, more Kabyle-tasting cordial.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cherbet?
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes without stirring, until the syrup runs from a spoon in a thin thread and has thickened just slightly; do not let it colour.
