Azerbaijan's pomegranate molasses, made by slowly boiling fresh tart pomegranate juice down to roughly a third of its volume until thick and glossy ruby-red. Traditionally made with no added sugar, so it stays more sour than sweet; sometimes seasoned with a pinch of salt or warm spices like cinnamon, coriander and basil, but sparingly. A condiment, classically drizzled over grilled Caspian sturgeon, and also served with kebabs and salads.
Narsharab is Azerbaijan's signature pomegranate molasses, the juice of tart pomegranates boiled down to a thick, glossy, ruby sauce. Drizzled over grilled sturgeon and other fish, it is the country's defining sweet-sour note.
A single drizzle leads with a firm pomegranate tartness that puckers the mouth, followed by only a faint natural sweetness from the fruit itself — sour far more than sweet, and never cloying. Deep ruby and syrupy enough to coat a spoon, it cuts straight through fatty grilled fish or meat, while warm spice notes hover faintly beneath the fruit's bright acidity.
Long, slow reduction drives off the water in the juice and concentrates its sugars and acids, thickening it into a glossy spoon-coating syrup. Because the boil-down intensifies the tartness so sharply, the sauce can stand up to rich grilled fish and meat, brightening and balancing them. No sugar is added so the acidity stays in the lead — the fruit's own sugars are enough, and more would mute the clean sourness.
Variations
narsharab with extra basil, unspiced pure reduction, version sweetened with a little sugar, sauce blended with garlic for kebabs
On the Palate
Where Narsharab sits in the Azerbaijani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 115 min
Juice fresh ripe pomegranates, straining out the seeds and pith.
- 22 min
Pour the juice into a wide non-reactive pot.
- 35 min
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- 435 min
Simmer steadily, skimming any foam, until the juice reduces by roughly half.
Watch outReduce until it's dropped by about half and darkened to a deep ruby — keep it at a lazy simmer or the sugars catch and turn bitter.
- 52 min
Stir in a little salt, black pepper and a pinch of cinnamon and coriander.
- 615 min
Continue reducing until the sauce coats the back of a spoon like syrup.
Watch outReady when a spoonful drawn across the back leaves a clear trail that doesn't run — it thickens more as it cools, so stop just short.
- 730 min
Cool completely, during which it thickens further.
- 82 min
Bottle and serve as a dip or glaze for grilled fish and meats.
