Let it be spring! Nowruz, or “new day” in Persian, falls on the spring equinox and is celebrated for the thirteen following days. This year it fell on March 20th, and now we’re in the Persian year of 1393. While Nowruz is a major festival in Iran, the holiday is also celebrated in other countries, where ancient Persian culture left its mark, such as Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, India, and Turkey. The festivities came into our family with my Azeri stepmother, and along with Easter, Nowruz is one of my favorite holidays for its rich symbolism of renewal and hope. It’s also a reminder that winter’s grasp is weakening and that warm days are around the corner.
In every home, the centerpiece of Nowruz celebrations would be a table decorated with seven items, haftseen or the seven S’s. Seven is considered a lucky number, and each item on the table beginning with the letter seen (s) in Persian has its unique meaning. For instance, seeb (apple) represents beauty, seer (garlic)–good health, serkeh (vinegar)–patience, and sekeh (coins)–prosperity. The arrangement is ornate and colorful, and people make rounds admiring each other’s haftseen tables, sharing good wishes and delicious food.
The mouthwatering delicacies prepared during this time are one of the reasons why I am always keen to partake in the celebrations. We would enjoy meat stews with herbs and spices, cakes filled with walnuts and cardamom, and buttery pilafs. This year my Nowruz celebrations were relatively modest. From the haftseen spread, I’ve kept Sonbol (hyacinth) to represent spring, and out of the elaborate menu–a rose perfumed sherbet.
Persian sherbet, or sharbat, is a soft drink made with a flavored syrup mixed with water. Fruit, floral waters and spices are combined to make the syrup, and the interesting combinations are endless: rose and saffron, almond and orange blossom water, quince and lime, and bitter orange. When I was growing up in Ukraine, access to exotic foodstuffs was limited, so we used commonly available ingredients such as sour cherries, plums, and rhubarb for an equally delicious result.
Rhubarb is a quintessential spring treat, and rhubarb sharbat tastes bright, tangy and floral. The latter nuance can be amplified with rose, which as you’ll discover, marries perfectly with any tart fruit. This is the same reason why many perfumers pair the two in their compositions. Just consider Hermès Rose Ikebana, Comme des Garçons Series 5 Sherbet: Rhubarb, Jo Malone White Lilac and Rhubarb, and Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll. Or Guerlain Homme that blends the sharpness of rhubarb with a rose-like geranium for a sparkling, refreshing effect.
Sherbets are easy to make–just boil the ingredients with sugar and strain. They keep well in the fridge, and you can make a selection of different syrups with seasonal fruit to enjoy throughout the year. The jewel colored syrups are also great for drizzling over cakes, crepes and ice cream. Diluted with water, they can be frozen and turned into granitas. But the simplest way is just to mix 1 part of syrup to 3 parts of water for a soft drink. Take a rose perfumed sip and will for the spring to arrive faster.
Rhubarb Rose Sherbet
You can also vary the syrup by substituting other flavorings, such as vanilla, orange blossom water or a couple of crushed cardamom pods. Cook spices with rhubarb in the beginning, but if you’re using vanilla extract or floral waters, add them at the very end.
The color of your rhubarb will determine the hue of the finished syrup. You can also add a handful of strawberries or raspberries for a brighter pink color and a rich flavor. Sometimes sherbet is colored artificially, especially if the rhubarb is pale, but I would rather keep it all natural and enjoy the pale blush drink.
Adding on: don’t throw away the strained fruit! It’s full of flavor and can be eaten as a sweet compote is with fresh cream and cookies. Or you can cook it down for 5 minutes to make a quick jam.
1lb (500g) rhubarb
1lb (500g) sugar (can be reduced to 2 cups, 400g)
1 cup (250ml) water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rosewater, or to taste
Chop rhubarb into medium sized pieces, cover with sugar and let macerate for 2 hours or overnight. Add water and simmer over medium fire for 15 minutes until the rhubarb starts falling apart. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh colander.
Put the syrup back on medium-low heat, cook for 5-10 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Add lemon juice. Skim any foam rising to the surface. Take off the heat. Add rosewater (or other flavorings of your choice, see the headnote) and chill.
Stored in clean, sterilized bottles, the flavored syrup can last for several months in the refrigerator. To make the drink, mix 1 part of syrup to 3 parts of water, add ice and enjoy. Traditionally, sherbet is served very sweet, but I prefer more water and a lighter, brighter flavor and sometimes increase the proportion of water to 4 parts.
Extra: Opal Basil and Lemon Sherbet Recipe
Photography by Bois de Jasmin, the pale green syrup is made with lime
78 Comments
Sabine: Yum. Will definitely try that. March 27, 2014 at 7:19am
Victoria: It’s one of my favorite combinations, rhubarb and rose. March 27, 2014 at 7:30am
Alessandra: I adore Nowruz but I still have to start celebrating it, somehow. I love this post!!
Happy Nowruz, everybody!!
Want to try the sherbet… my only problem is that it’s almost impossible to find rhubarb, over here, dunno why! In fact, I love it and miss it from my London days. I will try and investigate better. If I can find it, I’ll deffo make the sherbet. 🙂 March 27, 2014 at 7:29am
Victoria: Happy Nowruz!
If you can’t find rhubarb, you can try the same recipe with strawberries. Strawberries and rose water go together perfectly. Or when they’re in season, try peaches, plums, apricots, raspberries for different variations. The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. March 27, 2014 at 7:32am
Alessandra: I will do!! 🙂
I do love rhubarb, tho… every now and then, there’s something that reminds me how much I miss it 🙁 xx March 27, 2014 at 7:38am
Victoria: I love rhubarb too, especially raw, mixed with lots of arugula and some red onion. March 27, 2014 at 8:17am
zari: Hi Victoria, what a lovely surprise of a post! Nowroz mobarak! I just wanted to add that this holiday is not just a remanent of ancient Persian culture leaving its mark. In the West, “Persian”ness is linked only to Iran and Iranians, while the history and culture is much more fluid especially between Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Anyway, this is all to say that it’s not just a remanent, but a major holiday in not just Iran, but Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well (where people spend weeks preparing for it and forget everything else during it). Thanks for this post! 🙂 March 27, 2014 at 7:45am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Zari! Yes, you’re right, it’s not a little trace, so I hope I didn’t imply that. By Persian I meant a broader culture (certainly not only Iranian), many ethnic groups and shared ancient history. Of course, all of this complexity and rich links of traditions are hard to encapsulate in a single sentence, and I’m afraid that even one post wouldn’t be enough. But it’s a good reminder that Nowruz’s symbolism is very important in many countries. For instance, in the USSR, Nowruz celebrations were often forbidden in Azerbaidjan, Tajikistan and other Central Asian republics, but its traditions were nevertheless preserved and people still celebrated, often in secret. The Parsi community in India also celebrates Nowruz, with their own beautiful spreads, intricate dishes and lots of joy. March 27, 2014 at 8:16am
zari: Thank you Victoria again for this post and for elaborating. Nowroz is a very beautiful time, and I love and appreciate it for its deep symbolism as well. And you are right there is a lot to talk about and not enough space in one post :). March 28, 2014 at 7:38pm
Victoria: I would love to hear how you celebrate at home and what you put on your haftseen table. 🙂 March 29, 2014 at 4:41pm
Sandra: Looks amazing!!! I love Rhubarb and they usually sell it at the farmers market when it gets geared up. Right now the only thing I can find is root winter veggies.
When I was admiring your photos of the Rose buds, it reminded me of this pudding I loved to eat at an Armenian resteraunt in San Francisco, it had a strong rose flavor and pistachios in top. What I would do to have that again. NYC has to have it somewhere…
It doesn’t feel like spring here , but happy Nowruz to all of you! I am wearing la chasse aux papillons, so I smell like spring on this cold day! March 27, 2014 at 7:48am
Victoria: La Chasse Aux Papillons is one of the best spring-like perfumes for me, and I also wear it to imagine spring. Now, in Belgium we don’t have much to complain about this year, because the winter has been mild and it feels very spring like right now. But I know that in the US, it’s been one long bitter winter, so I hope that the spring will finally arrive to your shores.
The rose and pistachio pudding sounds delicious. To be honest, if a dish has those two ingredients, I’m already interested. 🙂 March 27, 2014 at 8:20am
Ann: Thank you for an uplifting and interesting post. I’ll be trying your recipe once I find rhubarb. We expect another cold spell soon and I don’t know when will this winter end? March 27, 2014 at 8:41am
Victoria: I hope that your winter will end soon, Ann. During long, cold winters, I seem to oscillate between warming perfumes like spices and ambers and light, sparkling florals. One family keeps me warm and cozy and another reminds me of spring blossoms and sunshine. March 27, 2014 at 9:28am
Ashley Anstaett: Thank you for a post reminding us that spring is near! I’m going to the farmer’s market Saturday morning, so I’ll see if there’s any rhubarb, although it might still be just a tad bit early here. I will celebrate Nowruz just a little late, but what a wonderful thing to celebrate. Happy Nowruz, Victoria and everyone else!
Ann, I hope spring comes soon for you, too. It’s been a bit of a struggle in Missouri this year. Feels never-ending. March 27, 2014 at 9:10am
Victoria: Happy Nowruz! It’s such a wonderful holiday, and it always comes at a time when one really needs something festive and rejuvenating. This year my Nowruz celebrations were also a bit late for a number of reasons, but nevertheless, we still have several days to make up for it. And I need no excuse to fill my apartment with hyacinths. 🙂 March 27, 2014 at 9:38am
Ashley Anstaett: I agree, what a great excuse for spring flowers. I actually planted a bunch of paperwhite narcissus in my house, following your instructions, and they’ve been blooming for about a week now, so thanks for the tips. It’s such a nice reminder that spring is on its way. Enjoy your beautiful hyacinths and your Nowruz celebrations! March 28, 2014 at 1:59pm
Victoria: I’m also thinking of planting saffron crocuses. It’s a bit late, but they usually grow very quickly.
I can just imagine the heady aroma of your paperwhite narcissus! March 28, 2014 at 3:04pm
Gentiana: Thank you, this is a beautiful way to welcome the spring.
I didn’t know about Nawruz, thank you for sharing your knowledge and impressions.
Rhubarb sorbet sounds mouthwatering. And the photos you posted are equally uplifting and mouthwatering.
You brought me again nice memories back.
I used to get rose or raspberry “sherbet” in my childhood when visiting some nice, cultivated, elderly ladies.
Sherbet was made mainly in the southern part of our country, where turkish traditions were strong. The sherbet they used to make (or what was called here as “sherbet”) is more a soft paste than a syrup, it is opaque and is put one big teaspoon of it in a glass of water. It is eaten from the spoon and drinking the water together with it.
Now, this kind of dessert is merely forgotten… March 27, 2014 at 9:20am
Victoria: Thank you so much for sharing these memories, Gentiana. It’s fascinating how various cultural traditions blend together, spilling outside the modern state boundaries. For instance, the first time I saw the Persian painted eggs for Nowruz, I was certain I was looking at the pysanky, Ukrainian Easter eggs decorated with colorful designs. Makes you realize how ancient all of these customs are.
Was the thick, paste-like sherbet you remember from your childhood made from fruit? March 27, 2014 at 9:43am
Gentiana: The thick paste was made from sugar mixed with water, boiled and after putting it away from the fire, and mixed till it thickened and get from transparent to opaque white. Then the raspberry juice was added. (Usually they used fresh raspberries strawberries or other juicy and flavored fruits), crushed and pressed to obtain the juice. I have no idea how the rose sherbet was made – I only know it was delicious. The same as the rose confiture – “Dulceatza de trandafiri” )
The juice was very carefully added to the paste, because the sherbet not properly mixed and with no right proportions of ingredients, could thicken to much right in place (and get a kind of candy) or could crystallize in the jar and get wasted. March 27, 2014 at 10:31am
Victoria: It sounds very interesting, and I don’t think I’ve tried anything like it. And the texture seems like soft caramel. I can imagine why it would be tricky to get it right, since it’s essentially like making sweetmeats. One degree too hot or too cold, and the whole lot is affected. March 27, 2014 at 1:11pm
Andy: Mmm…sounds delicious. I don’t know when I’ll be able to find rhubarb, but I do want to try making this syrup. March 27, 2014 at 9:41am
Victoria: As I mentioned to Alessandra, you can use other fruit instead of rhubarb. These Persian-style syrups are so convenient to have on hand. In the summer, we always have at least a couple of varieties, since they are easy to turn into quick, refreshing drinks. March 27, 2014 at 9:48am
Jillie: This is perfect for me, thank you! Very spookily I have just made some shortbread which I flavoured with rose – rose must be in the air. And each Easter I make a Rhubarb and Rose Frangipane Tart, so that’s not too far away now.
Your photos are simply beautiful. What a cheering post today (while big snowflakes flutter down outside my window!). March 27, 2014 at 9:51am
Victoria: It’s snowing?! I hope that it warms up for you, because the forecast for the weekend predicts 20C for Brussels. Right now, it’s around 8C. To be sure, 20C in March is not a normal scenario.
Your frangipane tart sounds wonderful, and now I’m really hungry. 🙂 March 27, 2014 at 10:08am
Anne of Green Gables: Thanks for the wonderful post, Victoria. I really enjoyed learning about Nowruz traditions and your beautiful pictures were treat for the eyes. I love that delicate pink hue of your sherbet and the rhubarb-rose pairing sounds like a match made in heaven. It must be so refreshing drink it on a hot summer day and I’d love to drizzle it over yoghurt. If I can find time during this weeknd, I’ll try to make it. Wasn’t the rhubarb and rose combination also explored in Eau de Pamplemousse Rose? I like it very much and prefer it over Rose Ikebana. March 27, 2014 at 10:28am
Victoria: There might be rhubarb in Eau de Pamplemousse Rose too, but I don’t remember it as well as Rose Ikebana. Also, I just remembered that Neela Vermeire’s Bombay Bling is another rhubarb composition with floral touches, and it’s also fun and sparkling.
My aunt often adds food color to the syrup to make it bright rose, but I’m with you in preferring the pale pink shade. Of course, the darker the rhubarb, the richer the resulting shade, but the taste is good either way. March 27, 2014 at 1:04pm
Anne of Green Gables: I thought that Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and Rose Ikebana were like sisters. I’ll have to look out for the rhubarb note carefully next time I wear Bombay Bling. I don’t know if it’s just me but I thought the initial tart burst in Chant d’Aromes smelled like rhubarb. I don’t know how it works but I love how rhubarb lends a scintillating effect in perfumes. Of course, I also love to eat it. 🙂 After all these talks about rhubarb, I think I might wear Olfactive Studio Flashback tomorrow. March 27, 2014 at 4:39pm
rainboweyes: My favourite rhubarb scent is Aedes de Venustas. I love the rhubarb and incense combo. March 28, 2014 at 5:26am
Anne of Green Gables: Hi rainboweyes, I haven’t tried Aedes de Venustas (only tried their Iris Nazarena) so thanks for mentioning it. Rhubarb and incense combo sounds so exciting! I’ll definitely give it a sniff. March 28, 2014 at 7:39am
Victoria: Flashback is probably my favorite rhubarb too, and the combination with vetiver and apple is like a breath of spring air. March 28, 2014 at 5:27am
Anne of Green Gables: I’m wearing it today and I’m reminded again what an ingenious composition this is. The weather is amazing here today, with lots of sunshine and blue sky. A beautiful spring day! I hope that you’re also enjoying spring in Brussels. March 28, 2014 at 7:45am
Victoria: P.S. tried Rose Ikebana and Eau de Pamplemousse Rose side by side, and I agree with you, they are very close. Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is less floral and sharper, and it lasts much better. Rose Ikebana is charming, but too fleeting. March 28, 2014 at 5:35am
Anne of Green Gables: Thanks for letting me know, V. You might remember that I love grapefruits so I think that’s one of the reasons why I preferred EdPR to RI. I could detect grapefruit in RI as well but it’s more prominent in EdPR with that addictive bitter tinge. I’m considering buying the Hermessence coffret collection but RI won’t be included. I’m thinking of Vetiver Tonka, Osmanthe Yunan, Epice Marine and Brin de Reglisse. I thought about getting Ambre Narguile instead of BdR but since I only need a small dab, I thought a sample I have might suffice for the time being. March 28, 2014 at 7:56am
Victoria: Your selection sounds great to me, with plenty of variety. I’d also go for Ambre Narguile, because it’s such a good amber. March 28, 2014 at 11:42am
Patricia: Your photos are so beautiful, I can smell the roses and taste the sharpness of the rhubarb.
I am craving rose fragrances lately. Today I’m wearing Parfums Delrae Coup de Foudre, on a recent trip to Miami bought a bottle of Vengeance Extreme, a lovely rose chypre by Juliette Has a Gun, and a kind swapper sent me a sample of Aerin Lauder’s Evening Rose, which I like very much. March 27, 2014 at 10:41am
Victoria: Thank you, Patricia! Today was so rainy in the morning that I decided that I need my day to start with roses. I sprayed some rosewater in the air and added a bit to my morning tea. I didn’t realize that rose pairs with green tea as well as with black varieties. March 27, 2014 at 1:13pm
Annikky: It is my firm belief that rose water goes well with everything. I’ve lately been even adding it to my coffee (half and half very strong coffee and warm milk), and I don’t care if people think I’m crazy. I just give them a look and add a piece of vanilla pod and some crushed cardamom to the mix. March 27, 2014 at 3:41pm
Victoria: That sounds perfect, and not strange at all. In the Middle East, coffee is often jazzed up with rosewater and cardamom. Vanilla is never amiss either, as far as I’m concerned. March 27, 2014 at 3:49pm
Ashley Anstaett: Anniky, that is a genius idea! I am going to try it. In the summers, I add a little bit of orange blossom water and fresh mint to my iced coffee. I bring it in to my regular coffee place and I think they thought I was absolutely bananas. March 28, 2014 at 2:01pm
Annikky: Thank you, Ashley 🙂 I knew that rose water is used to flavour coffee in Middle East, as Victoria mentioned, but I always imagined that coffee to be pitch black and therefore was a bit hesitant at first. No more, I think it works beautifully in my beige coffee, too. March 29, 2014 at 2:44pm
Victoria: Arabic coffee, at least in the Gulf countries, is usually fairly light. It’s made much weaker than even American coffee and the roast is light brown. This sounds odd, but you can really taste the coffee in a new way, and any other flavorings really stand out. March 29, 2014 at 4:25pm
Nancy A.: Lovely…photos, recipe. My late Mother used to make rhubarb puree for us sometimes with strawberries garnished with heavy cream. March 27, 2014 at 12:44pm
Victoria: Thank you, Nancy.
Did she cook strawberries too or were the fresh berries mixed with rhubarb puree? Either way, rhubarb and strawberry is such a great combination. March 27, 2014 at 1:18pm
The Perfumed Veil: My two favorite things, Persian festivals and rhubarb. I used to get rhubarb fresh and in pies back home in Russia and now I celebrate Norooz with my Iranian family. I did not know you could do rhubarb sharbat. It is easy to make any sharbat: just boil the fruits with sugar till they reduce to a thickened state, strain the fruits for jam and boil the syrup some more till it becomes really thick. Mix spoonfulls with water and that’s it! Healthy too. March 27, 2014 at 1:15pm
Victoria: Oh, thanks so much for reminding me about the strained fruit! We usually ate it like compote, with cream on top, but more often, we made it into jam. This is the best quick jam–5 minutes or so of cooking down, no extra sugar is needed, and you have delicious, perfumed and brightly colored spread. And it’s not overly sweet either.
What other sharbats do you make? I realize that the variations are pretty much endless, but I love learning other recipes. March 27, 2014 at 1:27pm
The Perfumed Veil: I do blackberry, strawberry and quince most of the time. I love homemade jams and rarely buy store ones anymore. I will buy good fig ones though, like the Armenian kind. March 27, 2014 at 1:31pm
Victoria: Mmmm…. all of these varieties sound delicious. I haven’t made a blackberry sherbet before, so that’s something I would like to try. I’m with you on homemade jams. The only exceptions for me are rose (can’t get any food grade roses here, and not in quantities enough for jam making!) and fig. When we do get ripe figs, we just finish them all raw. Nothing better for a quick summer lunch than a plate of figs and prosciutto. March 27, 2014 at 1:39pm
The Perfumed Veil: I know, I love them but they are not sweet enough here in Dallas. I love rose jam as well. I used to eat it with tea when I was little. I still get some good varieties at specialty shops.
For the blackberry jam , make sure you strain out the seeds and cook them extra to soften those seeds. It’s hard to strain so sometimes I leave them in but they are small and soft by that point. March 27, 2014 at 1:58pm
Victoria: My grandmother used to make rose jam, and the moment I think about it, I can almost smell rose petals cooking down with sugar. The only hassle was to pluck the blossoms in such a way as to remove the bitter yellow bottom part of the petals. And then, it took many roses to make one jar of jam, but eating it on a cold, snowy day was the best treat and a reminder of summer. These days, our old rose bush is struggling to survive, and last summer I was able to pluck only a handful of flowers. Not enough for jam, but enough to perfume several batches of tea.
An English friend gave me a jar of blackberry preserve that combined blackberries and apples, and it was definitely one of the best jams I’ve tried. Thank you very much for the extra tips. Once the blackberries are in season, I’ll be trying the sherbet and jam. March 27, 2014 at 3:27pm
rainboweyes: Thanks for sharing this recipe with us! It sounds delicious. I’m sure the syrup will be perfect with champagne or crèmant!
I love everything rhubarb – strawberry+rhubarb jam with a pinch of ground vanilla is my top favourite. But I also love rhubarb crumble with marzipan drizzled with advocaat. Yummy! I can’t wait for the rhubarb season to begin… March 27, 2014 at 3:17pm
Victoria: What a great idea! I didn’t think of that, but of course, it would be great with either dry sparkling wine or white wine. I might have to try it tonight. 🙂
Strangely enough, rhubarb is available all year round in Brussels, but of course, the best kind becomes available now, once the spring starts. I can’t wait for the strawberry season to begin as well, because as you say, rhubarb+strawberry is a perfect duo. I love your idea of a rhubarb marzipan crumble. March 27, 2014 at 3:32pm
Anne of Green Gables: So many great ideas, rainboweyes! I’m very fond of rhubarb crumble and your rhubarb crumble with marzipan drizzled with advocaat sounds so delicious! March 27, 2014 at 4:45pm
rainboweyes: Rhubarb and advocaat are a quite popular combination in Germany, especially for Easter cakes and desserts. And I just found a nice rhubarb and coconut cake recipe. Do you speak some German, Anne? On the website of the “essen & trinken” cooking magazine there are many interesting rhubarb recipes now (including a paprika and rhubarb soup).
Btw, rhubarb syrup is also great drizzled over rice pudding! March 28, 2014 at 7:34am
Victoria: I love “essen & trinken” for its interesting combinations. Plus, I’m a big fan of German pastries, and they often have modern variations of favorite classics. Is the rhubarb coconut cake recipe published there? You’ve made me curious to try it. March 28, 2014 at 7:48am
Anne of Green Gables: I think she might have meant this one: http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rezept/116676/rhabarber-kokoskuchen.html. March 28, 2014 at 8:12am
Victoria: Thank you! The cake must be so delicious. I’m now interested in trying their other rhubarb recipes too, like that paprika and rhubarb soup. March 28, 2014 at 11:41am
rainboweyes: The cake is a different one (sort of upside-down cake where the rhubarb gets caramelised at the bottom of the tray) but as it is from the current issue of essen und trinken für jeden tag (e&t for everyday cooking) the recipe is not available online yet.
They also have a wonderful poppy seed cake recipe with cherries in this issue, I’ll send you the link as soon as it is online (I know you have a soft spot for poppy seed too 🙂 ).
Here’s the link for the soup: http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rhabarber/hauptgerichte-mit-rhabarber-1020402.html?image=4&eid=1003682 March 28, 2014 at 2:20pm
Victoria: I can eat anything if it has poppyseeds on it, and if it is poppyseeds and cherries, then I’d on cloud nine. 🙂 Thank you, I would love those recipes once they become available. March 28, 2014 at 3:01pm
rainboweyes: Yes, I’ll be happy to share it! I just found this lovely recipe while browsing through my e-cookbook: http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rezept/259095/kaesekuchen-mit-mohn.html
It’s a yummmy poppyseed cheesecake. I’ve made it several times and it’s really tasty! March 29, 2014 at 4:06am
Victoria: Oh, this sounds like something I would love! Thank you so much. March 29, 2014 at 4:26pm
Anne of Green Gables: Natürlich! Mein gesprochener Deutsch ist nicht so gut aber ich kann lesen und verstehen. 🙂 Thanks for the tip on Essen & Trinken website. I’ll have a look. I actually had Quarkkeulchen with fruit compote (I think it contained rhubarb) for lunch today. I’ve always related rhubarb to desserts but paprika and rhubarb soup sounds tasty. March 28, 2014 at 8:08am
rainboweyes: Hey, das klingt super 🙂
I just placed the link to the soup recipe above but I just found another one with best rhubarb recipes (including rhubarb-orange syrup, rhubarb tirami su, rhubarb ice tea…) Enjoy!
http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rhabarber/die-besten-rhabarber-rezepte-1027123.html?eid=1003682&image=6 March 28, 2014 at 2:23pm
Anne of Green Gables: Thanks a lot, rainboweyes. Just looking at the photos made my mouth water. Schönes Wochenende (endlich ;-))! March 28, 2014 at 4:31pm
Annikky: Wonderful pictures and lovely recipe, I will certainly try it – I was looking at a bunch of rhubarb yesterday and contemplating what to do with it.
Rhubarb is popular in Estonia and I think I’ll cook something Persian (one of my favourite cuisines!) this weekend, but supplement it with Estonian teardrop cake with rhubarbs.
Meanwhile I’ve taken the last pieces of Sohan-e Qom out of the freezer to enjoy with my rose water coffee. March 27, 2014 at 4:00pm
Victoria: Thank you, Annikky. I would love a recipe for your teardrop cake with rhubarb. Although we had it often at home when I was growing up, our rhubarb repertoire wasn’t that wide, and I’m always curious to try something else with it. There is a great Persian recipe of rhubarb khoresh, a stew with rhubarb and meat, and that’s was a revelation, since previously I’ve only associated rhubarb with desserts.
Is Sohan-e Qom is a type of fudge/sweetmeat, or am I mixing it up with something else? March 27, 2014 at 4:08pm
Annikky: Yes, it’s somewhere between a fudge and a brittle and mine has cardamom, saffron, pistachios and rose petals.
I’ll happily share the teardrop cake recipe as soon as I’m sure it works. The cake looks something like this: http://toidutare.ee/peotoidud/jõulud/10C69/
There’ll be small drops of liquid on the surface when it cools, hence the name.
Rhubarb khoresh sounds great, will look it up right away! March 27, 2014 at 4:32pm
Annikky: Oh, apologies, I managed to misplace my comment. It was obviously meant as a reply to Victoria. March 27, 2014 at 4:34pm
Victoria: Thank you very much, Annikky! I checked out the link and the cake looks delicious and pretty. I haven’t tried this kind of pastry before with rhubarb.
Mmm… Now I want some of that fudge too. March 28, 2014 at 5:25am
Karen: Thank you for a beautiful and inspiring post! March 27, 2014 at 8:35pm
Victoria: My pleasure! Holidays, roses and spring are all nice things to contemplate. 🙂 March 28, 2014 at 5:30am
Lia: Sounds refreshing! We don’t have any rhubarb here any suggestion for replacement? As always you’ll always have amazing pictures that come along with your recipes. March 29, 2014 at 1:37am
Victoria: Thank you, Lia!
As I mentioned to Alessandra above, you can use any other fruit and berries. Strawberries would be great, for instance. If your fruit is sweet, reduce the sugar a bit and add more lemon juice. The syrup should be sweet, with a subtle tart edge. March 29, 2014 at 4:31pm
Nancy A.: Hi Victoria,
Sometimes my Mother would puree the strawberries and combine it with the rhubarb or served sliced alongside. March 29, 2014 at 9:19am
Victoria: Thank you, it sounds so good! I have to try it. March 29, 2014 at 4:26pm
Anne of Green Gables: I tried making the rhubarb rose sherbet while my parents were here and it was a great success. My mum especially liked it. Since rhubarbs are on sale almost everyday now in supermarkets, I decided to make more. I just made my second batch (I kept my batches small) and enjoyed it as hot tea. The colour and the smell/taste are amazing. Thanks again for the great idea, Victoria! April 26, 2014 at 2:53pm
Victoria: So happy that you liked it! These days whatever I make with rhubarb, I instinctively reach for the bottle of rose water. April 26, 2014 at 3:40pm