Sharbat, many refreshing drinks for hot days

Tea is ever-present for Iranians, night and day — to wake you up, to drink when you’re tired or thirsty, or when you’re in company. But sometimes in the summer when it’s too hot for tea, you offer your guests sharbat, a sweet cold drink, not unlike cordial.

The basic sharbat is made using water, rosewater and sugar, and is usually kept ready in the fridge, or served with ice cubes. You can add many different seeds and spices to your sharbat, depending on how much time you have, and how dear to you your guest is. The best sharbats, in my opinion, are made when the best jams are made; the excess syrup of the jam is kept in a bottle, then served at the bottom of each glass, which is then filled with ice and topped with water. These fruity sharbats also make excellent edible gifts.