Cumin Syrup (Zireh)
شربت زیره
toasted cuminearthysavoury-sweet
draft — not yet taste-tested Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| cumin seeds (zireh), preferably Kermani | 1 tbsp |
| water | 150 ml |
| white sugar | 150 g |
Equipment: small dry pan, small saucepan with lid, fine sieve, clean bottle.
About this syrup
Kerman’s bazaar smells of cumin. Zireh-ye Kermani, the small green cumin of the province, goes into zireh polo, into kolompeh pastry dough, into the yogurt on the table. As a syrup it is savoury and sweet at once, earthy and warm, and a very little of it turns a tequila or mezcal sour into something that could only be Iranian.
How to make it
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until they smell nutty. Do not let them darken.
- Crack them lightly in a mortar.
- Add to the hot water, cover and steep 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve, add the sugar and warm, stirring, until dissolved. Cool and bottle.
Yield and storage
- About 230 ml.
- Refrigerate up to 1 month.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Toasting is the whole point; raw cumin tastes dusty.
- Dose small: 5–10 ml per drink. More and the drink tastes like a kitchen.
- Good with lime, date, carrot, mezcal and tequila.
Different concepts of this syrup
1. Classic cumin syrup
The recipe above.
2. Cumin and date
Replace half the sugar with 75 ml date syrup (P13).
3. Cumin and lime leaf
Steep 2 dried limes, cracked, with the cumin for a sour, smoky Kerman version.
4. Beyond cocktails
A spoon in a glass of doogh, or brushed on roast carrots.
Allergen note
No common allergens.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- First proposed formula; measure your own yield and adjust.