This is a sweet/sour mint drink from Persia. The recipe makes a syrup that is mixed with water to taste; the syrup can be stored indefinitely without refrigeration. It’s a great thirst-quencher in hot weather, too. Leave it to the nomads of the Middle East to come up with the perfect camping beverage!

This is best made during the summer when mint is plentiful. 1 batch makes approximately 30 ounces. If you have a lot of mint on your hands, double or triple the recipe and have syrup on hand year-round.

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar*
juice of 1/2 lemon (1 tablespoon)
6 large sprigs of fresh mint

*Red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or stale wine (that’s starting to turn to vinegar) are tasty variations on this.

1. In a pan, stir sugar and water over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.

2. Add vinegar and lemon juice and return to a steady boil. Boil over medium heat for 15-18 minutes until thick, skimming as required. Test a little on a cold saucer — when cool, syrup should have a thin honey consistency.

3. Have mint sprigs well washed and drained and add to boiling syrup. Boil for 1 minute, then remove pan from heat and leave until cool.

4. Strain syrup, pour into a bottle, seal, and store.

Mix some syrup with water or other beverage to taste to make a refreshing drink. For a dessert, pour syrup onto sorbet or ice cream. Mix the syrup into fresh fruit as a fruit salad dressing.

Original recipe from: Mallos, Tess. The Complete Middle East Cookbook. Sydney: Lansdowne Publishing Pty Ltd., 2000. 336.