Chehel Giah Cordial (Kashan Herb Waters)
شربت چهلگیاه
mintfennellemon balmthymerose
draft — not yet taste-tested Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| water | 250 ml |
| white sugar | 200 g |
| fennel seeds, crushed | 1 tsp |
| coriander seeds, crushed | ½ tsp |
| fresh mint leaves | 10 g |
| fresh lemon balm (badranjbuyeh) or lemon verbena leaves | 5 g |
| dried thyme | 1 tsp |
| dried edible rose petals | 1 tbsp |
| culinary orange-blossom water | 2 drops |
| citric acid (or 20 ml fresh lime juice) | 3 g |
Equipment: small saucepan with a lid, mortar, fine sieve, clean bottle.
About this syrup
Every Kashan household keeps a shelf of araghiyat, the distilled herb waters: mint for the stomach, bidmeshk for the nerves, and chehel giah, “forty herbs”, for everything at once. They are not alcoholic; they are the Iranian medicine cabinet in bottles. This cordial borrows the idea. Seven herbs and seeds from that shelf, steeped and never boiled, give a drink a green, herbal spine.
How to make it
- Dissolve the sugar in the water, bring to the boil and take off the heat.
- Add the crushed fennel and coriander seeds, cover and steep 5 minutes.
- Add the mint, lemon balm, thyme and rose petals, cover and steep 10 minutes more.
- Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently. Stir in the citric acid and the orange-blossom water. Cool and bottle.
Yield and storage
- About 300 ml.
- Up to 2 weeks refrigerated.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Seeds need the longer steep, leaves the shorter; do not put them in together.
- Two drops of orange-blossom water, no more; it takes over.
- Dose 20–25 ml; it is sharper and sweeter than a plain syrup.
Different concepts of this syrup
1. Classic
The recipe above.
2. Bitter
Steep a strip of bitter orange peel with the seeds for a more bitter edge.
3. Minty
Double the mint and drop the rose: a Persian mojito cordial.
4. Beyond cocktails
25 ml in cold soda after a heavy meal, the Kashan digestive.
Allergen note
No common allergens.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- First proposed formula; measure your own yield and adjust.