Purple Basil-ade (Reyhan-ata/ Reyhan Şerbeti)

 

Purple basil-ade, or basil sherbet as they call it in Turkey, is a very old recipe that has become popular in the last couple of years. The way it is served is quite sweet for my taste so here's my recipe for a sugar-free purple basil-ade.

1 bunch purple basil

1/2 lemon 

2 liters boiling water

optional

1-2 cinnamon sticks

4-6 cloves

1/2 cup sugar or any sugar substitute you want to use

-Wash the purple basil leaves and put in a jar or a pitcher

-Squeeze the lemon on top and crush/knead the leaves with lemon juice to extract the utmost color.

-Pour the boiling water on top and let it cool down overnight, uncovered. If you want a sweet sherbet, add the sugar with water and stir. If you want a sugar-free one, adding cinnamon sticks gives it a slight sweetness, which I prefer to sugar. 

-That's it. Your basilade is ready. Serve it cold.

Note: If you make the basil drink more intense with less water, it becomes an excellent base for summer cocktails!  

 

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