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Soumada
Soumada: Cretan and island almond syrup, diluted into a cold, milky wedding drink
On Crete and several Aegean islands, a glass of cloudy-white soumada is offered to guests at weddings and on hot summer afternoons. It begins as a thick almond syrup kept in the fridge, which is stirred into iced water to make a cool, gently sweet drink that tastes of marzipan and orange blossom. Some islanders add a few bitter almonds for an edge; they are not safe to eat in quantity, so this version uses a drop of almond extract instead. Common mistake: boiling the syrup hard after the almond milk goes in, which makes it cloudy and grainy rather than smooth. Chef's tip: squeeze the almond pulp in a muslin bag with real force; the last drops are the richest.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the syrup (makes about 900 ml)
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blitz 9 oz blanched almonds in a food processor until very finely ground. Add half of 1 ¼ cups water and blend for 2 minutes into a thick paste.
3 minStep 2: Add the rest of 1 ¼ cups water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Pour into a muslin-lined sieve over a pan and squeeze hard to extract all the almond milk. Keep the pulp for baking.
Step 4: Add 16 oz sugar to the almond milk and warm over a low heat, stirring, until it dissolves. Raise the heat and simmer very gently for 8–10 minutes, until slightly syrupy; don't let it boil hard.
12 minStep 5: Take off the heat, stir in 1 tsp orange blossom water and ¼ tsp almond extract and leave to cool. Bottle and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks; shake before using.
Step 6: To serve, stir 3–4 tablespoons of syrup into ¾ cup cold water in a glass and add 4 ice cubes if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does soumada take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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