Sharbot Recipe: Historically, Sudan was one of the few predominantly Muslim countries that allowed alcohol. Men drank millet wine, sharbot and araqi. Sharbot is a traditional fermented drink that walks a fine line between benign fizzy juice and alcoholic beverage. As the 20th century came, they were influenced by Europeans and began drinking whiskey and beer.
Since the late 1980s when Sudan sharia was implemented, alcohol has been banned. The law bans the purveying, consumption, and purchasing of alcohol. Being lashed 40 times is the penalty for breaking the prohibition on alcohol.
This drink is a local, native wine that has been handed down for generations and is usually associated with occasions in which sheep are slaughtered, such as weddings and the slaughter of the Aqiqah. Adults claim it “helps them with digestion”.
This particular recipe comes from Mimi Gandors YouTube channel. She has collected several Sudanese recipes, and the channel is well worth a visit if you are interested in Sudanese food.
Sharbot Ingredients
- – seedless dates
- – dried raw alpina
- – cardamom
- – cinnamon sticks
- – dried raw tamarind
- – fresh ginger
- – dried hibiscus
- – hot water
Sharbot Preparation
1. in a jar, add the seedless dates, dried raw alpina, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, dried raw tamarind, fresh ginger, dried hibiscus and pour hot water on top.
2. once it cooled down, put saranwrap on top and let it rest for two days. make sure not to let it rest for more than two days as the taste will change.
3. after the two days have passed, filter it and enjoy!
The video above is in Arabic, but it should not be a problem to prepare this drink if you follow the video and use the English instructions on this page. And don’t forget to visit Mimi Gandor’s YouTube channel.
