Kharroub

Ingredients

Carob

• 400 gdried carob pods
• broken into pieces
• 2.5 litreswater

To sweeten

• 200 gsugar, or to taste
• or 150 ml date syrup

Sometimes added

• 1cinnamon stick
• 3cloves
• a strip of lemon peel
• a little rosewater

To serve

• plenty of ice
• small glasses
• at iftar during Ramadan

Directions

1. Rinse the dried pods under cold water. Break them up into short pieces. They need real force to break. Remove them if you can be bothered. Put the broken pods in a large pot. Cover them with the cold water. Let them soak for several hours.
2. Bring the pot up to a full boil. Add the cinnamon and cloves if using them. Let it cook for about forty minutes. Judging the strength takes a taste.
3. Press the softened pods with a spoon. Crush them against the side of the pot. Give it a few minutes of work. Let it cool a little in the pot. Strain it through a fine sieve. Line the sieve with cloth for a clearer drink.
4. Press the pods to get the last of it. Discard the spent pods and seeds. Pour carefully to leave it behind. Sweetening it is done while warm. Add the sugar to the strained liquid. Stir it until it dissolves completely.
5. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. The sugar balances the dry bitterness. Let it cool to room temperature. Give it at least three full hours.
6. Serve it as cold as you possibly can. Serving it is always done over ice. Fill small glasses right up with ice. Pour the chilled drink over it.
7. Add a little rosewater if you like. It keeps four days refrigerated. Stir it well before every single pour.

Technique

• The drink is sold from large brass urns strapped to the vendor’s back and poured by leaning forward over the glass, with small brass cups rung together to announce them; the same vendors sell tamar hindi, tamarind, and sous, liquorice root, alongside it.
• Carob is often compared to chocolate but the comparison is not accurate: it is sweeter with a fruity note and a distinct dry bitterness, and tastes like itself rather than like cocoa.
• Whole dried pods give a cleaner infusion than carob powder, which is roasted ground kibble and makes a thicker muddier drink; the pods are hard and leathery and need breaking with a heavy knife before a long soak.

Substitutions

• Date syrup in place of some of the sugar adds its own depth.
• A long overnight soak gives a considerably stronger drink.

Variations

• Some makers add cinnamon and cloves and others keep it plain.
• A little rosewater is added at the glass in some versions.
• Tamarind and liquorice drinks are made the same way by the same vendors.

History

Sold in the old city of Jerusalem by vendors with brass urns strapped to their backs, alongside tamarind and liquorice.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kharroub?

Kharroub is a drink from Palestine: dark chilled carob infusion, sweet and faintly bitter, poured in Ramadan. Sold in the old city of Jerusalem by vendors with brass urns strapped to their backs, alongside tamarind and liquorice.

How long does Kharroub take to make?

Kharroub takes 15 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kharroub?

Yes, within limits. Date syrup in place of some of the sugar adds its own depth. A long overnight soak gives a considerably stronger drink.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kharroub?

Carob is often compared to chocolate but the comparison is not accurate: it is sweeter with a fruity note and a distinct dry bitterness, and tastes like itself rather than like cocoa.