Discover three atypical drinks from the Middle East

In the Arab world, it’s hard to pass up a dish without dates and orange blossom. Jallab will delight the most greedy: this drink is made of dates previously cooked, to which we add milk or water, a touch of orange blossom to spice up the taste, and ice cubes

1 – Jallab

In the Arab world, it’s hard to pass up a dish without dates and orange blossom. Jallab will delight the most greedy: this drink is made of dates previously cooked, to which we add milk or water, a touch of orange blossom to spice up the taste, and ice cubes to make it fresh.

For those who are very thirsty (or even hungry), add pine nuts and raisins!

And if you want an alternative to dates, replace them with a mixture of carob, these brown seeds very popular in the Mediterranean countries.

2 – Kamardine

Kamardine, (Qamar Al Din) means “the moon of religion” in Arabic, as this drink is mostly consumed during the Ramadan fast. And for good reason! This very sweet drink is made from a puree of dried apricots, to which we add… orange blossom of course!

This delicious drink will keep you full for a whole day.

3 – Arak

If you like pastis, you will love arak. This typical Middle Eastern drink is often served as a digestif or aperitif, and is synonymous with conviviality. Made from brandy and aniseed, Arak has been drunk in Syria and Lebanon for centuries! There are still old distilleries in the region that still produce arak using traditional methods.

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Karim Al-Mansour

Journalist with a passion for contemporary Arab culture and social change in the Middle East, I now have over 15 years' experience in the media (print and digital). With solid expertise in editorial strategy and storytelling, I'm motivated by the idea of building bridges between cultures through engaging and informative content.

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