Turkish Lohusa Şerbeti
Collected from Claudia Turgut, Seasonal Cook in Turkey
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put the lohusa sugar, the regular sugar and water in a large pan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
2. Boil for 15 minutes until the sugar is dissolved, then continue for 15 minutes more on a lower heat.
3. Tie the cloves and cinnamon sticks in a muslin cloth and add to the pan. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
4. Cool and then strain into a large container or jug. This amount makes a lot! Keep in the fridge. It’s served hot, cold or at room temperature. The colour will be a gorgeous ruby red.
Doing double-duty, this red drink is first served to moms while they’re still in the hospital in the hopes of boosting milk production. Later, the sweet cinnamon- and clove-spiced beverage is served to guests visiting the new mom at home.
For more information: Lohusa Serbeti in Wikipedia.
INGREDIENTS
750g lohusa şekeri/ lohusa sugar
1 ½ water glasses granulated sugar( 1 ½ cups)
7-8 cloves/karanfil
6-7 cinnamon sticks/çubuk tarçin (pron: chu/book/lu tar/chin)
20 water glasses water/20 cups
Nutritionist Comments
Contributor: Tiffany Xu
Nutritional Value And Potential Benefits:
This sweet drink is not only tasty and refreshing but has a number of nutritional benefits listed by ingredient below:
Clove provides calcium (to sustain good bone health), vitamin K (which is essential for blood clotting), and trace iron (that is necessary for good lactation) (1).
Cinnamon has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetics. This may be especially beneficial for women dealing with gestational diabetes (2).
Mindful Modifications:
If you cannot find Lohusa Sugar, you can use the same amount of regular granulated sugar and add a hint of red food coloring.
If high blood sugar levels are a concern, make sure to lower the amount of sugar.
References: