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Summer Sekanjabin

Summer Sekanjabin

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I have been in the SCA for just over two years now. Pennsic was the third event I ever attended and I was fortunate enough to be able to go again last year. This summer, however, I had to choose between Pennsic or seeing the eclipse (I could take two weeks off, but not a full month). I opted for the eclipse. Pennsic will be there for me next year. In any case, in the spirit of Pennsic, I decided to make up some sekanjabin.

Sekanjabin is a shelf-stable Persian drink dating back to at least the 10th century (in Fihrist of al-Nadim). While most popularly made with mint, the only real requirements are vinegar and honey/sugar. People play with the ratios and add different things to them. I opted for flavors I already had on hand in my home — but flavors which were all found in Persia in-period.

Bottled syrup on the left and prepared drink on the right

Enjoy!

Summer Sekanjabin
A refreshing traditional drink
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Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 C sugar
  2. 1¼ C water
  3. ½ C vinegar (white, white wine, or red wine)
  4. 1 C pomegranate juice
  5. 1 T rose water
  6. 3 ginger candies or 1T ginger syrup
Instructions
  1. Bring the sugar, water, and vinegar to a boil. Stir for three minutes (sugar should now be fully integrated).
  2. Add ginger candy or syrup; stir until melted. Remove from heat.
  3. Add rosewater and pomegranate juice, stir.
  4. Let cool to room temperature, then bottle.
  5. To drink: add 1 part syrup to 5-10 parts water. Can be prepared hot or cold, but I think it tastes best over ice.
Notes
  1. Sekanjabin is shelf-stable and will last a very long time. Feel free to play with the flavors and proportions of the base ingredients -- other popular flavors include mint, lavender, and quince. It's also worth noting that the different vinegars will affect the flavor of the final product.
  2. Final yield is 24 oz of syrup. That's enough to make more than 3.5 gallons of final product -- ample to keep a family hydrated for a day at an event.
  3. Ginger candies and ginger syrup can be purchased online or through your local health food store. I recommend the Ginger People's hard ginger candies or their syrup. You can, of course, make your own, but I find the cost-benefit analysis to come out in favor of purchasing.
Adapted from Historic recipes
Adapted from Historic recipes
Hextilda https://hextilda.com/