A refreshing drink – Sekanjebin

We have been having a serious heat wave.  The air is hot and humid and each time you move you perspire and your clothes stick to your skin.  My remedy has been to swim about ten times a day – I jump in every time I walk past the pool which lies between my bedroom cottage and the main cottage.  I also have been drinking vast amounts of liquids to avoid dehydration.

I have always struggled to drink plain water, and although I am getting better at it, I do not drink my eight glasses a day.  It’s a lot easier if I add a little flavour.

This week I made this unusual cordial which is incredibly refreshing and delightful.  Don’t get put off by the ingredients – I know it sounds strange but you will see how wonderful it tastes.

Sekanjebin is a Persian drink, and can be traced back to the 13th century.  It is pretty simple to make.

Ingredients

• 4 cups sugar or 3 cups of raw honey
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar (white or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar – each gives a slightly different result but are equally delicious)
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

Place sugar, water and vinegar in a pot and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Add mint leaves and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes to reduce to a syrup.  Strain and bottle in glass bottles. You can store the syrup at room temperature for several months.

To serve, dilute with ice-cold water to taste – you will not need much syrup, add a sprig of mint and some ice cubes and enjoy. I sometimes add an additional dash of vinegar for some sourness.

In Iran, they often use the neat syrup as a dip for lettuce – just dip and eat.  They also add grated cucumber to the drink when serving.

I hope you enjoy this refreshing drink as much as I do.