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Jallab (Date Syrup Cooler)
A deep mahogany cooler of date syrup and rose water, poured over crushed ice and crowned with pine nuts and raisins. Jallab is Lebanon and Syria's Ramadan drink of choice — sweet, smoky and far more interesting than a soft drink.
Drinks · Arab / Levant · Ready in 10 minutes · Serves 4
Jallab (Date Syrup Cooler) comes from Arab / Levant and belongs on the drinks table. The quantities below are written for 4 servings and scale cleanly: double them for a family iftar or halve them for a quiet suhoor for two, keeping the proportions — and especially the seasoning — in the same balance. It is tagged no-cook, refreshing, classic.
Hydration is the quiet work of Ramadan evenings, and a proper Ramadan drink does more than quench thirst: it restores, refreshes and gives the table something festive between Maghrib and taraweeh. Serve it cold, in generous glasses, and keep a jug ready for refills.
Timing matters in a Ramadan kitchen, and this recipe asks for 10 minutes from start to finish. That makes it a genuine last-minute option: you can begin after the Maghrib adhan is close, or at suhoor when every extra minute of sleep counts, and still sit down on time. For a gathering, multiply every quantity by the number of guests divided by 4, round spices down very slightly on large batches, and taste before serving — big pots season differently from small ones.
Make the drink ahead and chill it thoroughly — a Ramadan drink served merely cool is a disappointment on a fasting table. Stir before pouring, taste for sweetness after chilling (cold dulls sweetness slightly), and set out extra glasses: drinks disappear faster than any dish at iftar. Anything remaining keeps a day in the fridge, covered.
Ingredients
- 150 ml date syrup (dibs)
- 1 tsp rose water
- 700 ml cold water
- 20 g pine nuts
- 30 g raisins
- 200 g crushed ice
Method
- Stir the date syrup into the cold water until fully dissolved and the colour is an even deep amber.
- Add the rose water and taste; the rose should be a background note, not perfume.
- Chill the jug for at least 15 minutes if you have time.
- Fill tall glasses with crushed ice and pour the jallab over.
- Float a spoonful of pine nuts and raisins on each glass — they are eaten with a spoon at the end.
Tips
- If date syrup is hard to find, grape molasses (pekmez) mixed 50/50 with a spoon of honey comes close.
- A pinch of salt in the jug makes the caramel notes of the dates taste deeper.