An exotic Rose Sherbet, the best way to cool down on a warm day. Made with ice, cashews, strawberries and rosewater. This sherbet is so creamy and refreshing. My version is refined sugar and dairy free. I added a little raw beetroot to boost the rosy pink, but you can omit this if you don’t have any. I made this originally with 1 tbsp of rosewater, which wasn’t enough for me. My advice is to add a tbsp at a time and taste, some rosewater can be very potent.
Sherbet has been around since the 16th century! It is traditionally made from fruit juices or extracts of flowers, mixed with sugar and water to form a syrup. The syrup is then stored and mixed at a later time with water or ice. As refrigeration was only available to the rich, reducing fruit to a syrup or liquid meant that even the poor could enjoy something sweet and fruity all year round.
Sherbet is an important drink in Muslim culture and often served to end a day’s fasting during Ramadan. In Egyptian Arabic, you can say ‘dam sharbaat’ which means somebody is very sweet, it translates to ‘his blood is sherbet’. Children are often called ’sharbaataat’, meaning ‘cuties’ or ’sweethearts’. How cute is that? In some parts of Turkey, a woman drinks rose sherbet to show she has accepted the groom’s hand in marriage. This is a very special drink with a lot of history, I had so much fun learning about it!
Recipe – makes enough for two glasses
- 3/4 cup cashews (soaked overnight and drained)
- 1 large handful of ice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2-3 tbsp rosewater
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp rice malt syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 2 inch piece of peeled, raw beetroot (optional)
Add all ingredients to blender and process on high until smooth and creamy.
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