Sharbat

What is Sharbat?

Sharbat (also spelled sherbet in English, the word derived directly from Arabic sharbat via Turkish) is a category of cold, sweet, aromatic drink originating in the Middle East and Central Asia - made by combining concentrated fruit, flower, or seed syrups with cold water to produce a refreshing beverage that predates modern soft drinks by centuries. The original sharbat tradition was a sophisticated Persian innovation: the creation of intensely flavoured syrups from rose petals, violets, tamarind, pomegranate, citrus, and many other botanicals, which could be stored and then diluted to make cooling, fragrant drinks at a moment's notice. In Afghanistan, sharbat is the festive, celebratory cold drink of choice - served at weddings, at Ramadan iftars, during Nowruz, and whenever hospitality calls for something more special than water.

At Naan Kabob, sharbat-style drinks represent the Afghan sweet drink tradition - aromatic, refreshing, and often incorporating the floral waters (rosewater, orange blossom water) and seeds (basil seeds, chia) that characterise traditional Afghan festive beverages.

 

Traditional Afghan Sharbat Preparations

 

Afghan sharbat can be made from a wide range of ingredients. Rosewater sharbat is perhaps the most iconic - cold water, sugar, rosewater, and sometimes a squeeze of lemon, served over ice or chilled water with basil seeds (tukhmaria) floating through it. The basil seeds swell in water and develop a gelatinous coating that provides a distinctive, almost tapioca-like texture. Pomegranate sharbat is made from fresh pomegranate juice diluted with water and sweetened. Qimaq chai (not technically a sharbat but in the same cold drink family) is a creamed dairy drink served cold. The common thread is: sweet, cold, aromatic, and often coloured a vivid pink or red from the rosewater or pomegranate.

 

Sharbat and the Etymology of "Sherbet" and "Syrup"

 

The global reach of the sharbat tradition is visible in the English words it produced. The Arabic/Persian sharbat gave the Turkish şerbet, the French sorbet, the Italian sorbetto, the English sherbet, and the word syrup (from Arabic sharab, meaning "to drink"). The sharbat tradition was so significant in medieval Islamic civilisation - where it was developed at sophisticated levels by court physicians and confectioners - that it shaped the cold drink and frozen dessert vocabulary of multiple languages. What North Americans call sherbet ice cream is a distant descendant of the same Central Asian sweet drink tradition that produces Afghan sharbat.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sharbat alcoholic?

No - traditional sharbat is entirely non-alcoholic. It is a cold sweet drink made from fruit, flower, and botanical syrups diluted with water, and it has always been positioned as a refreshing, celebratory non-alcoholic beverage in Islamic cultural contexts. The tradition of sharbat developed in part as an elegant, sophisticated alternative to wine for Muslim communities where alcohol is prohibited - a "drink worthy of celebration" that needed no alcohol to achieve that status.

What are the seeds floating in some sharbat drinks?

The seeds most commonly used in Afghan sharbat are basil seeds (tukhmaria or sabja seeds) - the small, dark seeds of sweet basil that swell dramatically in water, developing a clear, gelatinous coating around each seed within 15–30 minutes of soaking. They are flavourless on their own but provide a distinctive, satisfying textural element - tiny, slightly bouncy spheres suspended through the drink. They are not to be confused with chia seeds (similar concept, different plant) though chia is sometimes used as a substitute.

Does Naan Kabob serve sharbat?

Sharbat-style drinks are part of the Afghan beverage tradition at Naan Kabob, particularly during Ramadan, Nowruz, and celebratory periods. Check our current beverage menu or ask our staff about available sharbat options at your specific location.

 

 

See also: Rosewater, Pomegranate Seeds ,Ramadan, Kahwa.

 

The sweet, aromatic drink traditions of Afghanistan are part of what we celebrate at Naan Kabob - explore our full menu →