A pale, fragrant summer cordial infused from beh-limu, the lemon verbena whose leaves carry a bright citrus-and-quince perfume. The leaves are steeped to draw out their oils, the infusion sweetened into a light syrup and finished with lemon juice, then diluted with iced water. Herbal, floral, and gently tart, it is one of the most delicate and aromatic of the Persian sharbats.
The name beh-limu literally means quince-lemon, and Persian cooks are careful to note that it is not a blend of those fruits at all but a single aromatic herb, the lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora), so called because its leaves smell of both. Brought from South America and naturalized in Iranian gardens, the leaves are dried for tea and steeped for this long-standing summer syrup, a staple of hot-weather hospitality alongside the sour-cherry and barberry sharbats.
Light and lifting, with a fresh wash of lemon verbena that is at once citrusy, grassy, and faintly floral, like a cool breath of the garden. The sweetness is restrained and the lemon keeps it crisp rather than syrupy. It finishes clean and perfumed, lingering on the palate like an herbal tea served cold.
Lemon verbena's aroma lives in volatile oils that bruise and fade with heat, so the leaves are steeped in just-off-the-boil water and covered to trap the fragrance rather than boiled hard. The sugar is dissolved into the warm infusion to carry those oils, while the lemon's acidity both brightens the herb and, by lowering the pH, helps the light syrup keep without crystallizing.
Variations
Made from fresh or dried lemon verbena; sometimes combined with mint or a little rose water; sweetened more or less to taste; the warm infusion is also simply drunk as an after-dinner herbal tea.
On the Palate
Where Sharbat-e Beh-Limu sits in the Persian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
6 steps · 10 min
- 13 min
Bring the water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it settle for a moment.
- 225 min
Add the lemon verbena leaves, cover, and steep 20 to 30 minutes until deeply fragrant.
Watch outSteep off the boil, covered — rolling-boil water bruises the verbena's oils and you lose the fragrance.
- 32 min
Strain out the leaves and return the infusion to the pan.
- 45 min
Stir in the sugar and warm gently just until fully dissolved into a light syrup.
- 55 min
Stir in the lemon juice, then cool completely and bottle.
- 61 min
To serve, pour syrup into a glass, dilute with iced water to taste, and add ice.
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