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Sharbat-e rivas (rhubarb sherbet)
شربت ریواس: tart spring rhubarb cooked into a rosy syrup and poured over ice with fresh mint
For a few weeks in spring, after Nowruz, sellers come down from the Alborz foothills, the mountains of Khorasan and Kurdistan with bundles of rivas, the thick-stalked wild rhubarb. People peel and eat the stalks raw with salt, cook them into khoresh, and boil the rest into syrup to keep the taste of the season into summer. Sharbat-e rivas is pink, sharp and refreshing, like sour cherry and green apple together, softened by sugar and lifted by mint. The common mistake is boiling the rhubarb hard and pressing it through the sieve, which makes the syrup cloudy, brownish and stringy; simmer gently and let it drip on its own. Use only the stalks, never the leaves, which are poisonous. The syrup is ready when it is clear, rose-coloured and coats a spoon in a thin film; it keeps for two weeks in a clean bottle in the fridge, and should be thrown away if it fizzes, smells of alcohol or grows mould. Garden rhubarb is a good substitute for rivas; the reddest stalks give the prettiest colour. Chef's tip: a strip of lemon peel in the pot brightens the colour and stops the syrup tasting flat.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 1 ⅓ lb rhubarb stalks (rivas)leaves removed; garden rhubarb is fine
- 2 ½ cups water
- 12 ½ oz white sugar
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
To serve
- 8 ¼ cups iced waterabout 200 ml per glass
- 10 mint sprigs
- 20 ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ⅓ lb rhubarb stalks (rivas), trim the ends and peel off any tough strings, then cut into 2 cm pieces.
8 minStep 2: Put the rhubarb in a pot with 2 ½ cups water and 1 strip lemon peel, bring to the boil, then simmer gently over low heat for 10–12 minutes until the pieces have collapsed and the liquid is pink.
12 minStep 3: Pour into a sieve lined with muslin set over a bowl and let it drip for 15 minutes without pressing.
15 minStep 4: Return the clear juice to the clean pot with 12 ½ oz white sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice, stir until dissolved, then simmer for 8–10 minutes, skimming any foam, until it coats a spoon in a thin pink film.
10 minStep 5: Pour hot into a clean bottle (washed in hot soapy water and rinsed with boiling water), cool, then keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
3 minStep 6: For each glass, stir 3–4 tbsp of syrup into 200 ml of 8 ¼ cups iced water, add 20 ice cubes and bruise a sprig of 10 mint sprigs into it before serving.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sharbat-e rivas (rhubarb sherbet) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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