The original sherbet was from the Arabic word “shariba,” which meant to drink. It was a syrup that was a drink, and not a frozen dessert as we know it today.
The original sherbet was from the Arabic word “shariba,” which meant to drink. It was a syrup that was a drink, and not a frozen dessert as we know it today.
Ottoman Turks drank sherbet before and during each meal and today, in villages in Eastern Turkey, after a dowry is agreed on, the groom’s family goes to the bride’s house with a copper ewer called an “ibrik” filled with rose sherbet. When the sherbet is drank by the bride-to-be, that means acceptance of the groom’s suit.
Egyptians have various flavors of sweet drinks or sherbets, the most common is sugar and water and lemonade. Others include crushing violet flowers and then boiling them with sugar and water. Also, they make sherbets with mulberries, sorrel or licorice root.
The sherbet we know of is lighter than ice cream and often contains milk, egg whites or gelatin. These ingredients make sherbet richer than sorbets.
This is an easy recipe for a tasty sherbet:
Fruity Sherbet
Mix together:
2 cups lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Place in plastic container and freeze until solid.
Here’s a recipe for orange sherbet from Alton Brown:
Orange Sherbet
In a food processor, combine:
7 ounces sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 2 to 3 pounds of oranges
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Process all ingredients until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Add:
1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
Place into a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until the mixture is 40 degrees, about one hour.
Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
Folklore says the Roman emperor Nero had runners go to the Appian Way and pass buckets of snow hand-over-hand from the mountains to his banquet halls and mixed the snow with honey and wine, which might have been the first sorbet.
Sorbet contains no dairy and usually is pureed fruit, sugar and water.
Sorbet often is softer in consistency than sherbet. Sorbets tend to be refreshing and often are served as an intermezzo during multicourse meals to cleanse the palate.
Here’s a recipe for lime sorbet that would be a great intermezzo:
Lime and Ginger Sorbet
Combine in a non-aluminum saucepan:
5 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 (1 1/8-inch thick) slices peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lime rind
Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Cool, strain and add:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Place in can of ice cream freezer and churn until icy. Freeze for two hours before serving.
Here’s another great sorbet recipe.
Lychee Lemongrass Sorbet
In a food processor, puree:
15 lychees in syrup (use canned lychees)
Thinly slice:
2 lemongrass stalks
Bring puree, lemongrass to boil with:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Boil for one minute. Cool, strain through fine sieve. Churn in ice cream maker until icy. Freeze for at least two hours until solid.
With the hot and humid weather we are experiencing now, an icy cold sherbet or sorbet in the freezer surely sounds great after a meal!
Foodie bites
This Sunday, Sept. 13, is the Volcano Winery’s 2015 Harvest Festival from 4-7 p.m. at the winery at 35 Pii Mauna Drive in the Volcano Golf Course Subdivision. Tickets at $40 for adults (21 years and older) and $20 for keiki from 2-12 years old are available at Volcano Winery by calling 967-7772 or online at www.volcanowinery.com
All proceeds will benefit the Volcano School of Arts and Science STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program.
Enjoy the music of Mahilani House Band &Friends with heavy pupus from The Rim Restaurant at the Hawaii Volcano Lodge, Café Ono, Ka‘u Coffee Mill, Kilauea Lodge, Lava Rock Café, Café Ohia, Papa‘a Palaoa Bakery, Rusty’s Coffee, Thai Thai Restaurant, Tuk-Tuk Thai and others.
• The third annual Hawaii Honey Festival slated for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Nani Mau Gardens. For more information, check with event chairperson Peggy Beckett at peggy@thebeecompany.buzz. To enter the honey cooking contest, contact Sonia Martinez at cubanwahine@hawaii.rr.com.
• The 20th annual Mealani Taste of the Hawaiian Range is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 9, at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort. Great chefs including Sheldon Simeon of Maui’s Migrant Restaurant, Kevin Hanney of Oahu’s 12th Avenue Restaurant and Ed Kenney of Oahu’s Town Restaurant are participating. Tickets are $45 pre-sale or $60 at the door. You can get more information at www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com
• The cafeteria at Hawaii Community College now is open from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Call 934-2559 to place order and takeouts.
Small bites
Eleanor of Samoa emailed about the article about selecting fruits. Yes, Eleanor, papaya is a climatic fruit as it ripens after being picked. It is interesting that in Samoa, papayas and bananas are available all year, mangos and pineapples are seasonal, and fresh fruit from New Zealand and Australia, according to Eleanor, is very expensive. Moving to Hilo is certainly a great option.
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com if you have questions.