Ottoman's Sherbet

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Let's face it. It's hot. And it won't cool down for another couple of months. This hot, muggy weather reminds of when I had the fortunate opportunity to visit Istanbul. It was love at first sight. The town had it all. Amazing food, nice people, a fascinating history and a mystery ready to be explored at every corner. But it was hot. And humid. And dusty. And there was no relief in my tiny hotel room which had an air conditioning unit the size of my cell phone.

One particularly hot, humid and dusty afternoon, I discovered a small stand that was selling something called "sherbets." Though there were a half dozen varieties, I pointed to one that had a deep ruby color. One sip and like the town itself I was once again in love. Like jumping into a pool for the first time, I was immersed in this cool, refreshing sensation. I didn't know it at the time but I was drinking history.

It turns out that around 1600, sherbets were all the rage. Since the rulers of the Ottoman Empire were Muslim, they were forbidden from drinking alcohol. As a result, the cooks of the palace were challenged to come up with drinks that would refresh without the kick of booze. The result were sherbets.

But I digress...back to the drink. It tasted like pomegranate, raspberries, blueberries, cherries and a hint of spice, but I could not figure out what else was in it. When I asked the vendor about the ingredients, he just smiled and shook his head. The recipe had been closely guarded for over 300 years and he certainly was not going to give it out to anyone, especially a very white, chubby tourist from Iowa.

I went back to that stand every day and while I tried all the different drinks, nothing compared to that glass of ruby nectar which I much later found was called Ottoman’s Sherbet. After lots of tinkering at home, I figured out a recipe that I will reluctantly share with you. While you may not be able to visit Istanbul, you can make this drink, get refreshed and have a small taste of Istanbul, a town that holds a very close place in my heart.

Ottoman's Sherbet

All you need:

1 64 ounce container cranberry pomegranate juice

2 cups of water

1 12 ounce bag Hy-Vee frozen cherry berry blend

3 cinnamon sticks

4 cloves

4 allspice berries

1 1-inch knob of ginger, roughly chopped

1/2 cup sugar

All you do:

1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and simmer for one hour.

2. Run the liquid through a strainer making sure to crush the berries.

3. Place in refrigerator until cool.

4. Enjoy! 

Drink up and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex