Sour Plum Cordial
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| dried sour plums (alu bokhara or dried alucheh), with pits | 80 g |
| water | 300 ml |
| white sugar · 1 g per 1 ml of strained plum extract | 150 g |
| fine salt | 1 small pinch (optional) |
Equipment: small saucepan with lid, fine sieve and cloth, kitchen scale and measuring jug, clean glass bottle with lid.
About this syrup
Iranians love sour. Children grow up on lavashak (sour fruit leather) and alucheh (little sour plums) eaten with a pinch of salt, and every spring street vendors sell goje sabz, hard green plums, to dip in salt. Climb the mountain path at Darband in north Tehran and you pass stalls of lavashak, salted plums and tea. In Gilan, sour fruit is part of the cuisine itself.
This cordial bottles that sour-plum craving. It is made from dried sour plums, sold year-round at Persian grocers, so it works in any season. It serves two drinks: Darband Evening, where it plays with tea and salt, and Gilan Green, where it meets verjuice and fresh herbs.
How to make it
- Rinse the plums and put them in a saucepan with the water.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Take off the heat and steep, covered, for 30 minutes. Press the plums with a spoon to release more flavor.
- Strain through a fine sieve, then through cloth for a clearer cordial. Don’t push the pulp through.
- Measure the liquid; expect about 150 ml. Add 1 g sugar for every 1 ml (about 150 g) and the pinch of salt.
- Warm gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
- Cool, bottle, label with the date and plum type, and refrigerate.
Yield and storage
- Makes about 240 ml.
- Keep refrigerated and use within 2 weeks (provisional).
Tips and troubleshooting
- Which plums: alu bokhara (golden dried “Bukhara plums,” used in Persian stews) is the easiest to find; dried alucheh is sharper. Record which you use.
- Not sour enough: add up to 2.5 ml fresh lemon juice per 100 ml, or a few grams more plums next time.
- Too sour: use 10–20% more sugar and note it.
- Salt: just enough to brighten, never enough to taste. The Darband cocktail adds its own saline, so keep it light.
Different concepts of this syrup
1. Dried sour plum cordial
The recipe above. The house standard.
2. Lavashak cordial — the Darband snack
Dissolve 60 g plain sour plum lavashak in 200 ml hot water, strain, measure and add 1 g sugar per ml. Deeper color and a true fruit-leather flavor.
3. Fresh green plum (goje sabz) — Gilan in spring
In spring, simmer 200 g halved green plums in 200 ml water for 15 minutes, strain, and sweeten 1:1. Grassy, very sharp, intensely Gilani. Or muddle fresh green plums directly into Gilan Green.
4. Salted plum
Increase the salt to ¼ teaspoon per batch for a savory, snack-like cordial in the spirit of alucheh namaki. Use in highballs with soda.
5. Plum and black tea
Steep 2 g black tea in the hot plum extract for 3 minutes before straining. Builds Darband’s tea right into the bottle.
6. Beyond cocktails
- Sour plum sharbat: 30 ml cordial, soda water and ice.
- Glaze: brush over grilled chicken or drizzle on yogurt.
Allergen note
No common allergens. Check dried plums for added sulfites if guests are sensitive.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Compare alu bokhara, dried alucheh and lavashak versions.
- Confirm one cordial works for both drinks.