flipSekanjabin — Honey and Vinegar Syrup with Mint
Sekanjabin — Honey and Vinegar Syrup with Mint
Why this dish? In the blazing heat of Cairo, where Ibn Khaldun served as grand Maliki qadi, and throughout the Maghreb of scorching summers, sekanjabin (oxymel: honey + vinegar) was THE refreshing drink, both thirst-quenching and reputed to aid digestion. As a scholar observing Islamic prescriptions — thus avoiding wine — he refreshed himself with these permitted perfumed syrups.
An amber syrup of honey and vinegar, infused with mint, stored in a bottle and diluted with cold water when drunk. Tart, sweet, deeply thirst-quenching, it is the medieval antidote to heat — and a reputed digestive remedy.
In Cairo, the heat oppresses a man who sits judging all day. So I always kept this sharāb in a jug, which physicians recommend: honey and vinegar cooked together until they form a syrup, into which one throws a few mint sprigs. A spoonful in a cup of cold water, and the mouth is refreshed, the stomach soothed, the mind returns to study. We people of the Law do not touch wine; but God, in His mercy, has not deprived man of delicious drinks. Taste, and you will bless the measure of those who composed it.
- •Honey — two parts (sweet base of syrup)
- •Wine vinegar — one part (preservative acidity)
- •Fresh mint — one bunch (fragrance)
- •Water — for cooking and diluting (medium)
Sekanjabin — Honey and Vinegar Syrup with Mint
An amber syrup of honey and vinegar, infused with mint, stored in a bottle and diluted with cold water when drunk. Tart, sweet, deeply thirst-quenching, it is the medieval antidote to heat — and a reputed digestive remedy.
Why this dish? In the blazing heat of Cairo, where Ibn Khaldun served as grand Maliki qadi, and throughout the Maghreb of scorching summers, sekanjabin (oxymel: honey + vinegar) was THE refreshing drink, both thirst-quenching and reputed to aid digestion. As a scholar observing Islamic prescriptions — thus avoiding wine — he refreshed himself with these permitted perfumed syrups.
In Cairo, the heat oppresses a man who sits judging all day. So I always kept this sharāb in a jug, which physicians recommend: honey and vinegar cooked together until they form a syrup, into which one throws a few mint sprigs. A spoonful in a cup of cold water, and the mouth is refreshed, the stomach soothed, the mind returns to study. We people of the Law do not touch wine; but God, in His mercy, has not deprived man of delicious drinks. Taste, and you will bless the measure of those who composed it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Honey — two parts (sweet base of syrup)
- Wine vinegar — one part (preservative acidity)
- Fresh mint — one bunch (fragrance)
- Water — for cooking and diluting (medium)
Ingredients
- Honey — 300 g (sweet base)
- White wine or cider vinegar — 120 ml (acidity)
- Water — 200 ml for syrup (cooking)
- Fresh mint — 1 large bunch (fragrance)
- Ice-cold water — for serving (dilution)
Method
- In a saucepan, dissolve the honey in the water and bring to a simmer.
- Add the vinegar and let reduce over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until a light syrup consistency.
- Off the heat, plunge in the mint bunch and let infuse until completely cool.
- Remove the mint, strain, and store the syrup in a bottle (it keeps for several weeks in the fridge).
- To serve: 1 to 2 spoonfuls of syrup in a tall glass of ice-cold water, with a fresh mint leaf.
How it was made : Sekanjabin (from Arabic-Persian sikanjabīn, 'vinegar-honey') is an oxymel inherited from Greek medicine and perfected by Arab physicians (Ibn Sina, Razi) as a health drink. Ubiquitous in medieval cookbooks, it was made with mint, rose, or quince. The concentrated syrup kept for a long time without ice — a rare luxury — and was drunk diluted.
The contemporary twist : Served very cold over crushed ice with a splash of sparkling water and a ribbon of cucumber, it is an elegant, historical mocktail, alcohol-free and refined-sugar-free.
Sources : Arabic medico-culinary treatises (Ibn Sina, al-Razi) on oxymel / sikanjabīn · Kitāb al-ṭabīkh fī al-Maghrib wa-l-Andalus — recipes for sharāb (syrups)
Ibn Khaldun · Charactorium
