Ingredients
Syrup
- 800 gsugar, or 500 g sugar and 300 g honey
- 500 mlwater
- 150 mlwhite wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Mint
- a large bunch of fresh mint, about 60 g
- or 3 tbsp dried mint
To serve
- cold water
- ice
- cucumber, cut into batons
- romaine lettuce leaves, whole
Optional
- a few drops of rosewater
- grated cucumber, for khiar sekanjabin
Directions
- Make sure every grain has dissolved before it boils, because sugar crystals left on the side of the pan seed the whole syrup into crystallising later.
- Brush the sides of the pan down with a wet pastry brush. Now boil it gently for 20 to 25 minutes until it thickens to a light syrup.
- Take the pan off the heat entirely. Push the mint down into the hot syrup and cover the pan. Add the mint off the heat and never boil it.
- Leave it to infuse for at least 30 minutes as the syrup cools. The syrup will take on a pale green tint and a clear mint aroma.
- Lift the mint out and squeeze it gently, then strain the syrup. Do not leave the mint in the jar, because it keeps extracting and eventually turns the syrup bitter.
- Add ice and cucumber batons, or grate cucumber into the glass for khiar sekanjabin.
- Use the inner leaves, which are sweet and crisp, and dip them straight into the syrup. It is drunk on hot afternoons, at Nowruz gatherings and through Ramadan, and in Iran it carries a strong association with cooling the body in the heat.
Technique
- Honey in place of some of the sugar gives a rounder flavour and is the older version.
- The medieval oxymel travelled to Europe and survives in various sweet vinegar drinks.
- It keeps for months refrigerated and the flavour settles after a week.
Substitutions
- Cider vinegar for white wine vinegar, which is slightly softer.
- Dried mint if fresh is unavailable, using less.
Variations
- Made with honey, as the original oxymel.
- With grated cucumber, as khiar sekanjabin.
- Served as a dip with romaine lettuce.
History
An oxymel described in medieval Persian medical texts and still drunk chilled through the summer.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sekanjabin?
Sekanjabin is a drink from Iran: mint syrup of honey and vinegar, diluted with water and scooped with lettuce. An oxymel described in medieval Persian medical texts and still drunk chilled through the summer.
How long does Sekanjabin take to make?
Sekanjabin takes 10 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 1 litre of syrup. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sekanjabin?
Yes, within limits. Cider vinegar for white wine vinegar, which is slightly softer. Dried mint if fresh is unavailable, using less.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sekanjabin?
Make sure every grain has dissolved before it boils, because sugar crystals left on the side of the pan seed the whole syrup into crystallising later.
