Amardeen drink

August 18, 2010  •  Category: ,

 

This is a traditional drink during Ramadan; by the way, Ramadan Kareem to all!


Amardeen is the name given to a large sheet of apricot paste; the apricots and the sheets are from Syria; amardeen has a tangy, sweet and intense apricot flavor. It is diluted in water, made into a drink or a pudding or just eaten as is in chunks.

For a quart-sized pitcher:

Dilute 500 g (about 1 package or 1 pound) of amardeen in four cups of water overnight. The next day, pour one cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the water. Cool and set aside. Place 2 ounces of nuts (pistachios, pine nuts) in a bowl filled with water for at least one hour.

In a blender, pour the amardeen and water mixture and the syrup and process until smooth; taste for desired sweetness. Serve the drink in cups and garnish with a few pine nuts and peeled pistachios or almonds or walnuts, if desired.

NOTE: One can add a teaspoon of rose water to this drink if desired.

For a pudding recipe, clickhere

Comments

29 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. tom | tall clover says:

    Joumana, I send my compliments. Your recipes are inventive and delicious and you share an equally delicious slice of life in a country so many of us are eager to know more about. Kudos and thank you!

  2. Mo says:

    What a gorgeous drink! Delicious, no doubt. 🙂

  3. Angie's Recipes says:

    A very different and refreshing drink!

  4. Rachana says:

    A gorgeous drink! Delicious!

  5. elra says:

    Sounds very refreshing Joumana!

  6. gloria says:

    Joumana what lovely drink! gloria

  7. Pauline says:

    Looks lovely, with all those nuts. I’m wondering if amardeen is a cousin of lavashak? Is it apricots only or sometimes other fruit?
    Today I made a tray of plum lavashak and am hoping to put it to dry in the sun tomorrow, if the weather forecast is correct.

  8. Magic of Spice says:

    This sounds and looks wonderful 🙂 Ans so very beautiful!

  9. Suman Singh says:

    looks so refreshing and delicious..

  10. kouky says:

    ramadhan mabrouk karim Joumana!
    Merci pour cette délicieuse boisson très énergisante surtout pour le mois de ramadhan!
    à ce propos , j’organise un jeu relatif aux soupes du ramadhan ayant pour but de partager nos recettes et de les tester éventuellement.Ta participation me ferait énormément plaisir!!
    bises! kouky

  11. marla says:

    This drink sounds so exotic and interesting! I love apricots & that dried apricot paste sounds so delish. xo

  12. Food Jihadist says:

    I love this drink! People drink it by the buckets here in Egypt during Ramadan. Great garnish.

  13. Eve@CheapEthnicEatz says:

    Oh that looks nice and thick, more like a nectar, which I prefer over juice. Love the touch of nut in it.

  14. Kerstin says:

    What a refreshing drink – it sounds so tasty!

  15. sophia says:

    OMG. We have ESP?! I went to a Mediterranean store today, and saw that EXACT same product…and I was wondering what the heck I could do with it! And then I see THIS post! Is this fate?!

  16. Katerina says:

    This drink looks so tasty and exotic. I love the addition of rose water in it. We use it also here in Greece.

  17. Jessica says:

    I have never had anything like this! How cool!

  18. Sophie says:

    That drink looks so refreshing & special too!

    I will look for amardeen! thanks!

  19. T.W. Barritt says:

    What a very pretty and refreshing looking drink.

  20. Soma says:

    I have never heard of apricot paste. This is so intriguing, more so with the rose water in it.

  21. Dana says:

    Mmm! Apricot and pistachio is such a good combination! Ramadan Kareem to you too!

  22. grace says:

    what a uniquely delicious beverage! the color is just gorgeous.

  23. FOODESSA says:

    I would have thought those fruit sheets would be sweet enough on their own…I guess not. Now, when I see them at the store…I’ll finally be able to know what it can be used for. Everytime I walk into the middle eastern store…I’m overwhelmed. Thanks to you…I’m slowing untangling the mysteries ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  24. heguiberto says:

    Joumana,
    Last year we bought a big sheet of apricot at a middle eastern store in the Mission District of San Francisco and it’s been stashed away in the food pantry as I didn’t know what to do with it. Well now I do 🙂
    The amardeen margarita seems like a great idea too.
    Thanks for sharing!
    H

  25. Foodycat says:

    I remember reading about this in one of Claudia Roden’s books years ago. I thought it sounded delicious and a bit magical!

  26. OysterCulture says:

    I picked up a package of the amardeen and was curious to come up with some use for it, I had all sorts of ideas, but nothing sounds as good as this drink that you’ve shared with us. Thank you!!

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