Vişne Şerbeti (Sour Cherry Sherbet)
وِشنے شربتی (کھٹی چیری کا شربت)
Long before fizzy drinks, the Ottoman palace kitchens made sherbets (*şerbet*) from fruits, flowers and spices, and served them chilled with snow from the mountains. Vişne şerbeti, made from sour cherries, is one of the most loved. The cherries are simmered with sugar and a cinnamon stick into a jewel-red syrup that's mixed with cold water. It's sweet and tart at the same time, like our imli aloo bukhara sharbat, and just as good at iftar.
- ⏱ Total: 30 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the cherries, sugar, 1½ cups water, cinnamon and cloves in a and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, lightly crushing the cherries with a spoon, until the syrup is deep red and slightly thickened.
Stir in the lemon juice, then strain the syrup, pressing on the fruit. Let it cool completely.
To serve, mix the syrup with the very cold water in a jug (about 1 part syrup to 3 parts water) and add ice.
Pour into glasses and serve chilled.
Kitchen notes
Sour cherries are hard to find fresh in Pakistan, but frozen ones are sold in some supermarkets. Dried aloo bukhara (plums) make an excellent, very similar sherbet.
The syrup keeps for 2 weeks in a clean bottle in the fridge.
Keep the cooked cherries. They're delicious spooned over sütlaç or yogurt.
A sherbet from the Ottoman palace
Ottoman cooks kept detailed records of the sherbets made in the palace kitchens: rose, tamarind, lemon, pomegranate and sour cherry among them. Sherbets were served at weddings, at the end of Ramadan fasts and to guests, chilled with snow stored in ice houses through the summer. The word reached Urdu as sharbat through Persian, which is why the idea feels so familiar here.
Sweet and sour
Sour cherries (vişne) are tarter than ordinary cherries, so the sherbet balances sweet and sour beautifully. A cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves add a gentle warmth, the Ottoman touch.
Pakistani notes
If you can’t find sour cherries, use dried plums (aloo bukhara), which make a sherbet very close to imli aloo bukhara sharbat but with Turkish spices. Frozen mixed berries also work.
Serving
Serve chilled, with ice, at iftar, at summer dawats, or as a welcome drink for guests. A sprig of mint makes it look special.
Questions people ask
Can I use sweet cherries?
Yes, but the sherbet will be less tart. Use less sugar and more lemon juice to balance it.
What is an Ottoman sherbet?
A sweet, chilled drink made from fruit, flowers or spices, served at the palace and at celebrations. The English word 'sherbet' comes from the Turkish şerbet, via the same Persian root as our sharbat.
Is it good for iftar?
Very. It's sweet, cold and tangy, and the syrup can be made days ahead.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 150
- Protein
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
