Basil-Seed Pearls (Tokhm-e Sharbati)

About this preparation

Tokhm-e sharbati are the tiny black seeds of a sweet basil; in water they swell within minutes into pearls wrapped in a clear, cool gel. Iranians drink them in summer and in Ramadan, stirred into a rose-water and lime sharbat with ice, where they float and drift like something alive. Khakshir, flixweed seed, is the stranger cousin served the same way. They bring texture and nothing else, which makes them easy to use in drinks.

How to make it

1. Stir the seeds into the cold water in a glass.
2. Leave 10–15 minutes until each seed has swollen and sits in a grey-blue halo.
3. Stir once more and use, water and all. Do not strain.

Yield and storage

• About 150 ml; enough for 5 drinks at 30 ml.
• Use within a day; the pearls soften and the water turns cloudy.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Use cold water; hot water makes them slimy.
• Chia seeds work but swell less evenly and look darker.
• Add the pearls last to a drink so they stay suspended instead of sinking under ice.

Different concepts of this preparation

1. Plain pearls

The recipe above, for any drink.

2. Rose-water pearls

Soak in 150 ml water with 1 tsp rose water for a scented version.

3. Saffron pearls

Soak in saffron infusion (P14) for gold-tinted pearls.

4. Beyond cocktails

The original sharbat: 30 ml rose syrup, 15 ml lime juice, pearls, cold water, ice.

Allergen note

No common allergens.

Development notes

• Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
• First proposed formula; measure your own yield and adjust.