Tee-total Tuesdays - Jam-e’Shirin

This week Muslim communities across the globe will be in the final week of their holy month of Ramadan ; an entire lunar month dedicated to reflecting upon faithful practice, generosity and Zaqqat - the Islamic practice of charity.  But most importantly, the month of daytime fasting for those Muslims who are able.   

Ramadan is remembered as the month in which the prophet Muhammad received the first of the revelations that make up the Qu’ran - the main holy scripture of Islam.  Muhammad is considered the founder of Islam, hence his prominence within the faith.  The number of people across the world who participate in this holy month today numbers as many as 1.6 billion, or 22% of the human population.

The word "Ramadan" is from the Arabic root “ramida” or “ar-ramad”, which means “scorching heat” or “dryness”. This is because Ramadan typically takes place during the summer.  Although since the lunar calendar determines the month each year, Ramamdan can even be as late as November and December.

The breaking of fast, when participants can eat food and drink water again, occurs at dusk, with a meal known as Iftar.  The experience of Iftar has been very different for many Muslim households, during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Many families are separated by lockdowns, virtually all mosques in affected countries have been closed, and traditional prayers have taken place at home.  Muslim friends that i’ve spoken with say that it feels very different, and sad not to be around extended family at Iftar.  Their experience at the end of Ramadan, celebrating Eid Ul-Fitr, will be very much the same as this.

In America, a tradition of celebrating Iftar with a state meal at the White House, began in 1997, during the first Ramadan of President Bill Clinton’s administration.  This tradition was ended twenty years later by Donald Trump - something which should surprise none of us 🙄  

A particular fact so often ignored by Americans, in particular supporters of Trump, is that the first head of state to recognise the USA’s Declaration of Independence in 1776, was in fact a Muslim - Sultan Mohammed III of Morocco.  The Declaration of Independence was given his recognition, even before it was recognised by France.

During Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. Sexual relations, smoking, and any acts considered “indecent or excessive” are also prohibited.

For some, this also includes abstaining from alcohol where they might otherwise be prepared to drink - usually because they live in a country or region where drinking is legal.  As such, I felt that although Tee Total Tuesdays will be a regular item for this blog - usually reviewing a non-alcoholic spirit, on the second to last Tuesday of the month - I felt it couldn’t hurt to review a traditional non-alcoholic drink enjoyed in Muslim communities for this entry, seeing as the timing is appropriate.

When looking up what I could purchase in my local area, I expected to find myself looking for Jallap - a traditional rose-flavoured syrup, usually popular among Turkish people, although also quite renowned in other parts of the Middle East.  However there weren’t any shops in my part of London which stocked this.  It appears that usually shops run by Indian, Pakistani or Bengali owners will sell an ordinary rose syrup, and another popular brand from Pakistan labelled Rooh Afza - this is considered a popular drink for Ramadan, among Muslims from any of these countries and their diaspora.  But I wanted to purchase something with a broader flavour, and
available in a smaller quantity.  So I eventually managed to find a sugar free version of a similar concentrated syrup - Jam-e-Shirin.

 

Among westerners, it’s honestly not too surprising that a rose syrup like Jam-e-shirin isn’t really the drink of choice.  We’re so used to drinks with a sharp sweetness like fruit squash and cordials in the West.  So a drink which hits the olfactory sense like walking into a small florist, is a bit too dry in taste to be enjoyed with plain water.  However, with a tonic water the truly fresh and “efficacious” flavour (so mentioned on the bottle) is really brought out.  The fresher and more sparkly your tonic water is, the happier you’ll be with the result.  The rose flavour mainly bounces off the middle of the tongue.  But I think describing it only as “aromatic” doesn’t give Jam-e-Shirin enough credit.  Rose flavoured drinks on their own are often an acquired taste.  But this syrup’s added herbal flavours make it considerably moreish.  

A friend recommended trying it with milk - although I prefer plant-based milks, I don’t have that to try with right now, so semi-skimmed dairy is my only option.  It was worth it, though!  Keeping the ratio of milk and syrup not too strong, the milk helps to dial down the aromatic notes, whilst keeping the floral sweetness.  If you like experimenting with flavours in your chai latte or hot chocolate, I definitely recommend trying Jam-e-Shirin with these - indeed, I’m very keenly reminded of the promotional Rose Hot Chocolate drink I was fond of buying in McDonald’s, when I visited Hong Kong earlier in the year; this was promoted as a drink for the Chinese lunar new year.  

I expect I will be giving the rest of my bottle of Jam-e-Shirin to some local Muslims, who own a business I would frequent near my previous abode.  But I expect I shall certainly be trying it with gin, and with milk again, before the week ends.

So with thanks to my brothers in the Shia faith, Moez and Forest who helped me to write this post, and with heartfelt blessings to all peace-loving Muslims, from Luton to Lewisham, from
Maryland to Mekkah, and everywhere else in the world,

I humbly wish you all,

If you want to watch a recorded announcement on my Facebook page, explaining why i’ve decided to do a monthly item on non-alcoholic drinks, click here.

To read the next post, which is an important announcement about the future of this blog, click here.