Orgeat syrup

Last updated
Orgeat syrup
Orgeat syrup flavored drinks.jpg
A bottle of Italian orgeat syrup
TypeSyrup
FlavourAlmond
IngredientsAlmonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water
VariantsHorchata
Related productsFalernum

Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds and sugar with a little rose water and/or orange flower water. It was originally made with a barley-almond blend. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails. Orgeat syrup is an important ingredient in the Mai Tai and many Tiki drinks. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

An early recipe for orgeat can be found in The English and Australian Cookery Book : [4]

Take a pound and a quarter of bitter almonds, and half a pound of sweet almonds, which have been blanched, nine pounds of loaf sugar, six pints of water, and the rinds of three lemons. Pound the almonds in a mortar with the sugar, and add the water a little by degrees; then put the mixture on the fire with the lemon-peel. After a boil pour off the syrup and press the almonds, to extract the milk; add this to the syrup, and strain the whole through a sieve. When cold add a little orange flower water, and bottle the mixture. The orgeat is used as a summer drink, mixed with water, according to taste.

Bitter almonds as a general rule contain cyanide and can be lethal in large quantities. [5] For this reason modern syrups generally are produced only from sweet almonds. Such syrup products do not contain significant levels of hydrocyanic acid, so are generally considered safe for human consumption unless the person is allergic. [6]

Word origin

The word orgeat ( /ɔːrˈʒɑː,ˈɔːriət,ˈɔːrʒɒt/ ) is derived from the Latin hordeaceus 'made with barley' through the French, where barley is called orge. The Catalan word orxata, from which derives the Spanish horchata , has the same origin, though today the two drinks have little else in common and neither of them uses barley.

Regional uses

Soumada bottles Soumada Bottles Kos.jpg
Soumada bottles

In Tunisia and Libya, a variant is called rozata and is usually served chilled in wedding and engagement parties as a symbol of joy and purity because of its white colour and its fresh (flowery) flavor. It comes in many different flavours, such as traditional almond, banana, mango, pistachio, among others.

In Suriname, there is a drink called orgeade , which is a similar syrup made of sugar and sweet and bitter almonds.

Maltese ruġġata is made of almond and vanilla essence and may include cinnamon and cloves. [7]

In Cyprus and on the Greek islands of Chios and Nisyros, a similar syrup is known as soumádha (Greek : σουμάδα). Soumada has a very ancient history at least in Cyprus, stretching back into the Roman period, and it was given as an exotic delicacy by King Peter I of Cyprus to King Casimir the Great of Poland at the Congress of Kraków, held in Poland in 1364. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almond</span> Species of nut

The almond is a species of small tree from the genus Prunus, cultivated worldwide for its seed, a culinary nut. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by corrugations on the shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitters</span> Alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter

A bitters is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punch (drink)</span> Drink usually containing fruit or fruit juice

The term punch refers to a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruits or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from the Indian subcontinent to England by employees of the East India Company in the late 17th century. Punch is usually served at parties in large, wide bowls, known as punch bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amaretto</span> Italian almond liqueur

Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. Depending on the brand, it may be made from apricot kernels, bitter almonds, peach stones, or almonds, all of which are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that provides the almond-like flavour of the liqueur. It generally contains 21 to 28 percent alcohol by volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horchata</span> Plant milk drink of Spanish origin

Horchata, or orxata, is a name given to various beverages, which are generally plant based, but sometimes contain animal milk. In Spain, it is made with soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts. In Latin America and other parts of the Americas, the base is jicaro, melon or sesame seeds, or white rice, along with other spices. Different varieties can be served hot or cold, and may be used as a flavor in other beverages, such as frappé coffee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratafia</span> Alcoholic beverages

Ratafia is a broad term used for two types of sweet alcoholic beverages, a flavouring essence whose taste resembles bitter almonds, later to a ratafia flavoured biscuit, a biscuit to be eaten along with ratafia, and later still, to a cherry variety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falernum</span> Caribbean syrup used in drinks

Falernum is either an 11% ABV syrup liqueur or a nonalcoholic syrup from the Caribbean. It is best known for its use in tropical drinks. It contains flavors of ginger, lime, and almond, and frequently cloves or allspice. It may be thought of as a spicier version of orgeat syrup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypriot cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Cyprus

Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine of the island of Cyprus, shared by both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okolehao</span> Hawaiian alcoholic spirit made from the root of the ti plant

ʻŌkolehao is a Hawaiian alcoholic spirit whose main ingredient was the root of the ti plant. 'Ōkolehao's forerunner was a fermented ti root beverage or beer. When distillation techniques were introduced by English seamen in 1790, it was distilled into a highly alcoholic spirit.

A Scorpion Bowl is a communally shared alcoholic tiki drink served in a large ceramic bowl traditionally decorated with wahine or hula-girl island scenes and meant to be drunk through long straws. Bowl shapes and decorations can vary considerably. Starting off as a single-serve drink known as the Scorpion cocktail, its immense popularity as a bowl drink in tiki culture is attributed to Trader Vic.

Drink mixers are the non-alcoholic ingredients in mixed drinks and cocktails. Mixers dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol by volume in the drink. They change, enhance, or add new flavors to a drink. They may make the drink sweeter, more sour, or more savory. Some mixers change the texture or consistency of the drink, making it thicker or more watery. Drink mixers may also be used strictly for decorative purposes by changing the color or appearance of the drink. They also simply increase the volume of a drink, to make it last longer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandy sour</span>

The brandy sour is a mixed alcoholic cocktail considered the unofficial national cocktail of Cyprus. While other forms of the brandy sour cocktail exist, the Cypriot variety is a distinct mixture, which only shares the basic brandy and lemon flavourings with other variants. Both brandy and lemons are among Cyprus's major exports, and both have distinctive Cypriot characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy Grog</span>

The Navy Grog was a popular rum-based drink served for many years at the Polynesian-themed Don the Beachcomber restaurants; it is still served in many so-called tiki restaurants and bars. First created by Donn Beach, who almost single-handedly originated the tiki cultural fad of the 1940s and 1950s, it was one of dozens of rum concoctions that he, and later Trader Vic and numerous other imitators, sold in exotic tropical settings. Not quite as potent as the Beachcomber's more famous Zombie, it was, nevertheless, shown on the menu as being limited to two, or sometimes three, to a customer. Reportedly, Phil Spector consumed at least two Trader Vic’s Navy Grogs at the Beverly Hilton restaurant, without eating any food, the night he later killed actress Lana Clarkson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrub (drink)</span> Fruit liqueur or vinegared syrup cordial

In terms of mixed drinks, shrub is the name of two different, but related, acidulated beverages. One type of shrub is a fruit liqueur that was popular in 17th and 18th century England, typically made with rum or brandy and mixed with sugar and the juice or rinds of citrus fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharbat (beverage)</span> Sweet drink

Sharbat is a drink prepared from fruit or flower petals. It is a sweet cordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitter almond liqueur</span> Alcoholic liquor

Bitter almond liqueur, is a Portuguese sweet alcoholic liquor, more specifically from the Algarve region. Clear light yellow in colour and with roughly 20% ABV, it is one of the most well-known liqueurs in its country of origin. It is made from the seeds of the bitter almond, and is similar in flavour to the Italian Amaretto.

References

  1. "In honor of orgeat". alcoholprofessor.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  2. "Upgrade your orgeat". nationalpost.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  3. "Tiki cocktail history basics". drinks.seriouseats.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  4. Abbott, Edward (1864). [h://archive.org/details/b21505524 The English and Australian Cookery Book].
  5. "What are bitter almonds". thespruceeats.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. Chaouali N, Gana I, Dorra A, Khelifi F, Nouioui A, Masri W, Belwaer I, Ghorbel H, Hedhili A (2013). "Potential Toxic Levels of Cyanide in Almonds (Prunus amygdalus), Apricot Kernels (Prunus armeniaca), and Almond Syrup". ISRN Toxicol. 2013 (19 September): 610648. doi: 10.1155/2013/610648 . PMC   3793392 . PMID   24171123.
  7. Georgina Lawrence. "Ruġġata tal-lewż". ILoveFood.com.mt. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  8. Maria Dembinska and William Woys Weaver, Food and Drink in Medieval Poland (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999) p.41